


Stuck Like This

by PantyAnarchist, zeryxis



Series: Undertale Collaborations [1]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Genocide Run, M/M, Sanscest - Freeform, Selfcest, kustard - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-25
Updated: 2017-12-01
Packaged: 2018-11-03 16:11:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 22
Words: 100,966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10970754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PantyAnarchist/pseuds/PantyAnarchist, https://archiveofourown.org/users/zeryxis/pseuds/zeryxis
Summary: Stars, we are just RP machines sometimes! Have another ~ I play TaleSans, and Panty as always plays her lovely Red (FellSans)





	1. ~Teaser

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ohoho, look at what we have here! Another RP, hmm? 
> 
> Enjoy the first posts from each of us, as a little teaser for when we start posting chapters of this one <3

Fifteen times... he'd had to stand here and deal with this brat reloading and showing back up to make him even more miserable. He could feel the phantom aches of depleting magic reserves, even though they were up to full at the moment. The reload had been several minutes ago, a longer wait than the last handful of times he'd gotten the murdering little shit's soul to break. Sans lowered his face into his hand, feeling so very tired, even when he was over full health. He felt the way his bones seemed to shiver in place, the red scarf tucked in his pocket because he couldn't stand the sight of it right now. He'd worn it for the week or so it had taken for the human to get past Mettaton, and the hours before that when Undyne refused to let them get away from her. He didn't know if they had even _slept_. He knew he sure hadn't, at least not well. Alphys at least had done what he'd told her and gotten everyone out of the human's reach, blocking off everything they could while the robot had still held them at bay. And her he was, sixteen times over having killed them, and waiting for them to come back. He knew they would eventually best him. That he would mess up and they'd walk past his dust to reach the King. To finish off what little hope the monsters had left for who knows what stars-damned reason. Sans wouldn't make it easy on them, though. Even when he had nothing to live for, he couldn't just give up.  
Seething, white-hot hatred still made him almost blind with rage when he'd first spot the human. It would simmer, as he spoke, then turn cold as he went about his work in combat. Even with his attack being so low, the human's high LV meant his karmic retribution would wear them away in two or three turns. All he had to do was wait it out, dodge, side-step, duck, teleport. He could slam them into the heavy pillars and polished marble floors. It was repaired with every reset, just like new. Their body was almost supernaturally resistant, making every hit to the beautiful Judgment Hall crack and crater. But it came back, perfect and smooth.  
Sans heard the tapping footsteps, and moved his hand back into his pocket, fingering the soft red fabric. He could tell they weren't listening when he spoke, the lines seeming more a formality than any kind of attempt at convincing them. They'd made their choices weeks ago, in the Ruins, when all the sounds of monsters there had vanished. When the old woman had stopped coming to the door and they had stepped out into the snow. Sans began his paces, bone summons coming from the sides, their attack missing him. Turning their soul blue to throw them into a pillar, making it almost break in half. Their body slumped on the floor, KR eating away at their energy. They came in for another swipe that failed to connect. He put a wall of bones between them as he teleported away, noting the chipping away of their strength when they were bombarded again with blue bones. This time would be quick, he thought, though they both did their dodging dance for several more turns, and he gathered a fistful of magic to summon a blaster. It whined high and bright, split jaws opening wide, and the beam hit their leg as they tried to leap away. The shin was gone from almost to the knee down, burning away in a bloody stump that wasn't quite fully cauterized by the searing magic.  
They fell to the floor, the knife clattering from their grip, and he almost thought to wait and watch as the last of their power whittled away to nothing. But he wasn't cruel, even if he wanted to do nothing more than break and torment this terrible creature, just as his own heart and soul had been torn into by their callousness. Their arrogance and intent. Sans lifted another blaster, intending them to be burned away, and he felt something shift.  
It distracted him, pausing even as the draconic skull charged with potent magic, and he saw for a moment that the knife hadn't fallen out of their hand, but... it was also several feet away, on the floor. It was dull, and the blade looked plastic... he grunted and raised his hand to finish feeding the blaster before he felt another flicker, one that made him feel as if he'd teleported, but he was in the same place. He'd not done anything. Sans grimaced, feeling the thread of magic that tethered him to the blaster go taut, choked and twisting like a writhing serpent, and he loosed the cannon before he could lose control. It struck true, as that face lifted and he almost saw the bloody red eyes as the cyan light reflected off them in the moment before it struck.  
Sans didn't notice until the blaster stopped, that the knife had been thrown, and this one was real. It had hit just beside his sternum, the sharp edges burying into bone between his ribs, and while it hadn't hit his soul, it was enough intent and steel to cut into his life. Falling to his knees, he felt his marrow leaking around it, dripping down his shirt in a bright blue streak. He choked out a gasp, hoping to feel the reload before he felt himself die, wanting it more than he had ever imagined.

Honestly, he wasn't even sure why he'd bothered. Every single fuckin' time, he'd put his neck on the line for the kid, trying to get them out, but every. Fuckin'. Time. The kid stood shaking behind him as he tried to fight Asgore off, the light through the broken stained-glass windows of the Hall making the scene look as dramatic as it felt. Every single time, the bastard either cut him down or caught him in a misstep and dusted the child right behind him. This was going to be one of _those_ times. He dove to try and stop that final strike from landing, but of course he was too slow. He could already feel tears of anger and frustration leaking down into the red scarf wound around the lower half of his face...  
_It still fuckin' smells like him._ His only thought before the world blinked.  
Here it was again. The end of a run, only to be re-loaded right back at the beginning of the battle. How many times was it now?  
_...fifteen. Heh. Goin' for some kinda record..._  
Everything felt so soft and white and... peaceful. Which made the sudden sounds of a glitching file all the more jarring.  
"What the _fuck?!_ "  
He looked around, still stuck in mid-air from his attempt to save the kid... who was still speared on the end of the King's trident. This wasn't right. The image of the two kept glitching... tearing apart a little more each time. He looked around at the rest of the room... it was doing the same thing... and upon closer inspection he was beginning to see why. Just beneath his chest... no... it looked like it was fuckin' _embedded_ in him... was some glowing yellow star he'd never seen before. He didn't remember moving his hand... he didn't even know he _could_... but the moment he touched it, he regretted it.  
The whole world seemed to turn on end and the sound inside of his skull was absolutely unbearable. It felt like he was being put through a blender, and when he finally came out of it, he hit his back _hard_ against the familiar marble floors. " _FUCK!_ " He arched off the hard surface and looked up. The star was gone. He rubbed at his chest and looked around. He was still in the Judgement Hall, but... no broken windows or battle-worn pillars... no kid... no Asg-...  
He felt his soul chill at the sight of someone else in the Hall. Someone he didn't recognize. "What the f-... _who_ the fuck are _you_?!"


	2. New Arrival

A little more of his existence drained away, hand clutching at that dagger in his chest, staring at it as if that would make it stop. Would make everything reset, so that he wouldn't be able to feel the way his body was slowly dying around him. The way his bones seemed to grow dull, the magic in them shutting down until they were becoming barely-held-together clumps of compressed dust, beginning to drop away like sand in an hourglass. Part of him wanted to move, to pull the accursed weapon away, but another thought, perhaps if he kept put, it'd reset faster. Would stop making him feel how his body was dissolving and his marrow was turning deeper shades of blue, almost going slate as he felt himself flickering. Hanging on to life by mere threads of magic that were failing him.  
When he did finally feel that reset, felt how it was stopping everything in its tracks, beginning to move it into the place it was before, Sans sighed in his mind, letting go and letting the timeline adjust as the human saw fit.  
He felt his bones, solid and so very faintly humming with his living magic, the loudest he'd ever heard it. It settled, and his hand went to fiddle in his pocket. The scarf was still there, warm and tucked away in a safe place. His breath caught in a sob, shuddering past his ribs and teeth as he fought back tears. He needed to keep it together. That had been the first time he'd been on the verge of dusting. It had felt nothing like he'd imagined on the darker occasions. It wasn't peaceful, or relaxing, or even painful. It was terrifying, feeling his body stop and begin to fall apart, speck by speck. It was like falling off a cliff, feeling everything around you going numb, yet still able to tell where you were crumbling away into nothing. Sans shuddered, fingers clenching around the scarf, and he looked up to wait on the reload. For the tap of feet that signaled his speech. Instead, he was met with a voice behind him, rough and demanding.  
He didn't look back for a moment, thinking that perhaps he was finally losing it. His mind was going from the proximity to dying he'd been in. But after a moment, he heard the breath and movement, and he turned just enough that his voice would go clearly over his shoulder. "Sans. Sans the skeleton."

 _'SANS!'_ A dark, steely voice like the scream of a bear-trap closing echoed in the back of his mind.  
_What the fuck?!_  
He'd played some damn good pranks in his day, but whoever set this up was really going above and beyond. Quickly he looked down at his hands, turning them over and feeling over his body to make sure he hadn't... he snorted quietly to himself. For a moment he was worried he'd been turned into the kid. He _was_ in their spot after all. He let his gaze sweep around the hall again to confirm something was off before turning and walking out the door to his side. It was all the same.  
He walked a bit down the empty hall, feeling... a strange sense of panic. And then... relief? Elation? Holy shit, had he somehow escaped that living nightmare?! That hell hole?! All that time spent tinkering with that stupid fucking machine and it turned out he didn't even need it?! He fell back against a wall, one hand on his stomach and the other on his forehead, his whole body shaking with quiet laughter. This was the best joke of his life. All it was missing was his brother coming around the corner to tell him what a fucking idiot he was.  
After a few minutes the quiet Hall echoed with the scuffling footfalls of the other skeleton, one hand shove din his pocket while the other toyed with the scarf wound round his face. "Hehehe... fuckin'... hell, I'm a lil under-prepared for this shit, buddy. We supposed to fight or somethin'? I mean, I could _pretend_ , but really... I'm just _bone-tired_."

He didn't move as the other monster - it had to be - explored the immediate area, and the sound of laughter had him in his own pulled grin. It was empty and broad, but... if the human wasn't here, then what? This... this other monster had seemingly taken up their place, even arriving in a slight tug of what had... kind of felt like a reload? But it had felt wrong.  
As he heard them ask, Sans shook his head, not having turned around yet. Even that joke had slid past him without any incident. He let himself drop, sitting on that beautifully polished and pristine floor, looking over at the unmarred stained glass. Everything was as it should be... except he could still feel the pain of the knife echoing in his ribs, the ghosting way his marrow had slicked down his front and the powdery feeling of beginning to dust. It haunted him, and he pulled his hand up to where the knife had sat. It was gone, there wasn't a speck of blue to his stained shirt, and all his magic was topped off.  
"No, I don't wanna fight. I never wanted to," he said, his voice echoing in the hall. The silence after had him feeling like somehow he'd finally given up, and his hand came up to cover his face, rubbing his sockets with a shuddering breath. He didn't have tears left, and the hand in his pocket rubbed the soft fabric to try to calm down. Sans felt so _tired_.

"Yeah, I know the feelin', buddy." He felt his entire being relax as this other version of himself not only _said_ he didn't want to fight, but by the looks of it, he really, truly meant it. So without imminent danger keeping him at bay, the next natural emotion took over... curiosity. This was _definitely_ some version of himself, right? He stopped just behind the other, shoving his hands in his pockets as he looked down at him, head tipping to the side. He looked so much... smoother. Softer.  
"Well, if it's any consolation, unless some weird shit happens again... you might not _need_ to. I mean, I think... I dunno, somethin' got fucked up while I was tryin' to save the kid. Saw this shiny fuckin' yellow thing and then..." He shuddered at the memory of his transportation before slowly walking his way around the other. "Anyways... I should probably introduce myself, huh?" He stood in front of this cleaner looking version of himself and squatted down to get a good look at his face before holding out his hand in greeting. "Nice ta meetcha, buddy. I'm Sans. Sans the Skeleton."

He was busy running various implications in his mind, only half-listening to is doppelganger.  
Multiverse theory, check. For whatever _good_ that did him now. He knew the human was his access point, he'd figured that after the first few resets and when he knew he wasn't going crazy. When he knew it actually was looping back to days or weeks beforehand.  
The first time he'd seen the kid... they'd been somewhere in the realm of good, but along the way... especially after they met Undyne... something had turned them into a merciless creature. He wondered if the human from his counterpart's timeline had ever gone genocidal, even as he pondered over the information about the yellow shine. He felt like it was important somehow, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Instead, he tried imagining what was going on right now. No human, this other Sans, and the strange flickers at the end of that last fight...  
"So I guess something went wrong," he finally murmured, letting his hand drop, finally turning his head to acknowledge the other monster. The other him. He took in the scarring, the way he looked, and somehow he felt like this was so very wrong. From the yellow-grey tint to those bones to the crimson eyelights that met his cyan own, everything was so very, very surreal. Perhaps it was the fucked-up funhouse mirror effect, or... his gaze went to the scarf around his shoulders, and he choked on a sob, his fingers going tight around the one in his pocket as he snapped his sockets shut to not have to see it.  
Another dry noise wracked in his ribs, feeling worse than the dagger before, and Sans' voice came out in a strained whimper. "Pap..."

He froze. He knew full well what would cause that kind of reaction... his hand reached up to grip the scarf, pulling it down away from his face to hang more loosely around his neck like his brother had worn it. "Heh... s-sorry, I, uh... I'm... not _him_." His gaze turned to the hand stuffed inside his pocket... wondering if his guess on its contents were correct. "Heheh. Fuck. Even when I go to a whole new universe I'm a staggerin' disappointment." He grunted as he moved to stand, dusting at his clothes and fidgeting with his clothing, taking in just how ratty he looked in comparison to the other. How much more beat up and worn down and... well, they looked about equal on the grounds of being tired as all hell.  
"Come on, buddy... there... ain't nothin' for ya to do here now... you, uh... you maybe got a Grillby's?" His hand twitched with the strange need to touch the other... to comfort him the way he'd always wanted back home. But... one hand shoved itself into his pocket while the other adjusted the scarf back up around the lower half of his face. "It's, uh... my treat?"  
He let the hand drop down, offering it out to help his smoother self up as he tried not to look like a complete nervous wreck about it.

That got a choked laugh, short and painful, but a laugh. He shook his head.  
"Grillbz's help'n keep an eye on everyone... left." The words tasted bitter, but he didn't have the energy to lie. Sans rubbed his face in both palms, as if that would spark him up somehow, and tipped his gaze up to look at his copy again. "Everythin's on lockdown. Or... well..." he lowered his voice, thinking. If the human was gone, what point was there in hiding anymore? But they'd likely only just settled in the last day or two... would they even feel safe coming out already? Would they even fucking believe him? That the human had just... up and vanished?  
He made himself put one hand to the floor, the other taking the offered help, working himself up to stand. Heh. He was about an inch shorter than the other skeleton.  
"Wouldja lookit that..." he mused, looking just so slightly up, though he looked at the scarf again and is eyelights faded sadly. "Fuck..." Sans breathed, looking down at nothing. He missed his brother so much. Fingers stuffed in his pocket, he rubbed the soft fabric between them again.  
"We should leave, though," he agreed, taking in the sight of one of the magnificent colored glass collections on the wall, "there's nothing here."

His brow furrowed at the words as he helped him up, trying to make sense of them, but his mouth opened to ask for details instead... only to fall shut. He could ask later. They'd both had one hell of a long day. Or was it weeks by now? It sure looked like i-...  
His whole body jolted a bit when he noticed the other Sans looking up at him, the soft blue of those eyes making his soul ache for a peace he'd never known, but he felt like he could find in those-...  
He quickly turned his head away, incidentally at the same time the other was looking down, which he'd thank the stars for as he felt a slight burning along the edges of his cheeks that he'd forgotten existed outside of distant memories. Once he'd regained his cool, he turned to look at him again, this time letting his gaze follow the other's up to the glass window, admiring it silently for a moment before grunting and moving over to put an arm around his blue buddy's shoulders and start leading him out of the room.  
"Yeah, come on. Fuckin' _anywhere's_ better'n here, right now."

He didn't flinch at the sudden weight over his shoulders - the other's jacket was heavier than his own, and somehow it was a comfortable kind of weight. He let the other lead him wherever, kind of just... glad to not be alone again. Even if it was his own company. Heh. If he was in a more amicable mood, he'd of said so. But for now, they walked through the silence of New Home. The place seemed dead, and to him, it might as well be.  
He trudged along, keeping pace with the other only for the fact that he had started leaning into him. Part of him just wanted to lay down and not get up, another was saying he should tell someone, Alphys or Grillby, or the King, that the human was gone. Not dead, just... vanished. He shook his head. No one would believe that, would they? Would anyone feel safe, thinking humans could just appear and disappear at will? His hand not in his pocket rubbed his face.  
"I need a fuckn drink," he groaned, is voice almost as rough as his larger counterpart's, "and a smoke, and a fuckn week's sleep."

When that weight shifted into him, he shifted his arm along with it, holding him closer... just to keep him steady, of course. Though... there was a strange kind of comfort of just being near someone who felt so familiar. Like an old friend he just hadn't seen in a long time, though... he'd never had the chance to feel that back home. Most friends he'd ever made had either been dusted or turned out to be backstabbing bastards... who were usually dusted after Papyrus found out. His hand squeezed the other's shoulder as he looked away, thinking of his brother for only a brief moment and relaxing when the thought was gone. His mouth was already curling at the sound of what was a damn near perfect impersonation of his own voice, but the words had his face splitting with a grin as he chuckled.  
"I've never fuckin' agreed with anythin' more in my life. I'm sure I can help with two outta three." His free hand pulled a pack of smokes from his pocket, the pack itself looking like it had been re-used time and again, constantly refilled with hand-rolled cigarettes. He stopped and reluctantly removed his arm from his new friend...  
_Heh, and here I thought I was my own worst enemy..._  
He slipped a stick from the pack and popped it between his teeth before pulling a lighter from the side of the pack to get it burning, taking a deep breath and letting the smoke billow slowly from between those fangs as he held it out to Sans. "So. You know anywhere to get some decent booze?"

The fangs he hadn't really taken in before... he had his own, yeah, but not a mouth like a shark. When the smoke was offered, fresh from between the sharp edges, he almost stared, but Sans really didn't have the mental fortitude right now to think too hard, and he took it to pull in several deep 'lungfuls' of it. It was strong, and he fucking loved it. He felt himself calming down and relaxing, and that was just a minute or two with the damn thing.  
"Heh... I'd say Grillbz but he locked the place up... and I'm pretty sure we'd be toast if we raided the place. Might have some back at home..." his voice broke off. He hadn't been home since he'd picked the scarf up. Since he'd started tracking down and realizing just how deep the kid had gone into the darkness. And he took another long drag from the cig before offering it back, almost reluctant to let it go. "Might be some down in the basement. Ain't been there in months." He pink-slipped feet dragged a touch as he thought about it, feeling himself thinking 'what else is in the house?'  
_...a lot of memories. A lot of pain and anguish just waiting for me to show up and start thinking again._ Sans shook himself, still following the other's lead, pushing away thoughts of his brother. He avoided thinking about it by thinking about what would happen once he could decide what to do.

The offered smoke was waved off as he lit up another one for himself, relaxing in the familiar motion if nothing else. The mention of Grillby's reaction to having a bit of booze pilfered conjured up a few images of the couple of times someone back home had made the mistake of taking a few liberties with his booze. He shuddered before he continued walking. "Home, huh... you don't happen to live way the fuck back in Snowdin, do ya?" After walking the path through so many reloads, it was second nature to backtrack, though... he did let out a groan as they came upon those pain in the ass puzzles. Granted there seemed to be _far_ fewer sharp objects here. Ah well, nothin' a lil shortcut couldn't...  
He flinched and groaned as he tried to simply teleport across a bridge, instead not moving an inch and only hearing that dreadful blender noise ringing in his skull for a few long seconds.  
" _Fuck!_ " He doubled over, the cig falling to the floor as he clutched his head until the noise stopped. "Fuckin'... _shit_ , are you serious?!" He stood up, looking a bit dizzy, but no worse for wear and immediately tried to summon a bone construct. His entire body seemed to relax as the jagged weapon formed... a little weaker than usual, but still plenty useful. "Well, guess there ain't no shortcuts today." He leaned down and grabbed his smoke, clenching it back between his teeth as those bright eyes turned towards the room of puzzles before them.

"Righto," he replied, almost sounding enthused, especially since he got to have another nice long drag of that bitter-sweet little stick. When the other seemed to react violently to what he recognized as that ripple of distortion magic he could use on a whim, he flinched back as well, though when he summoned that jagged bone... for a moment Sans almost thought he was considering something far more drastic, but then, as he went to retrieve the cigarette, Sans didn't know why he had even thought that... until he checked him.  
"Holy shit..." he said, his voice wavering at what he saw. LV... along with HP and attack...  
"...what..." his voice shook as he looked at the other, his eyelights somewhere between questioning and fearful. The pieces seemed to slot into place, and he drew in another puff of smoke. "H-holy... shit..." he repeated, voice stammering and hand shaking as he pulled the cig away. He tried to steady himself, only to look like a child searching hopelessly for someone to help them figure out what to do. He glanced at the room, back where they'd come, to the area he knew that Alphys had an access panel to deactivate the puzzles, anywhere but at the other's eyelights.  
He... he couldn't imagine what it had taken... no, he could, but he didnt _want_ to.

His gaze shifted back to his blue buddy as he heard something in his voice... fear? He looked at the bone construct in his hand and quickly let it dissipate into nothing before holding his hands out almost defensively in front of himself.  
"Wh-... s-sorry, I ain't... I ain't gonna _hurt_ ya! I was just... fuckin'... I dunno, somethin's off with my magic. Looks like I got the basics under control still, but... I dunno if any of the fancier shit's gonna work here or not." Slowly his hands fell and shoved themselves back into his pockets so he could fiddle with the random trash he kept stowed away in there, his whole body seeming to shrink as he hunched his shoulders and ducked his head, looking off to the side as he puffed quietly on his smoke for a moment.  
"S-...sorry if I, like... scared ya or whatever. I didn't... I wouldn't hurt ya. I... I don't like fightin' neither..." Those crimson lights flickered back over to his softer counterpart, looking remorseful above all things, but it lasted only a moment before he shifted his gaze down to the ground.

Sans needed a couple more puffs of his own before he could really get himself back into that relaxed state, shaking his head as he looked at what was left of the cig perched between his fingers. "No... sorry jus'... fuck, man. I didn't think..." Sans shook his head again to put the cig between his teeth and get over to the control panel, fiddling with the codes until he had everything deactivated in this area, then took a deep breath, shoulders slumping, before he turned back to the other him.  
"I believe ya. I mean... who knows me better than myself, right?" he tried, but even then it felt lame and dry, even when he moved back over and looked at the other, trying to get back that strange casual easiness they'd have before. "C'mon, the other places have controls too. So it's just the annoyance of stop'n ta fiddle with code locks."  
He offered his hand, though he couldn't stop how it shook, just a bit, but he didn't want the other to think he was going to just turn him away. He didn't know what had happened, he didn't know what his universe had been like, so... maybe he'd had to do it. Sans knew he'd technically been the one killing the human, even if it was more of a result of his KR than his actual attacks, but it was there. He'd done it, because it'd needed done.  
"Still gotta get them drinks. Then see about if that nap can happen any, right Red?"

 _Great. Ya can't even go five minutes without fuckin' shit up._  
The forced joviality simply served to further darken his mood, the red discoloration beneath his eyes becoming more pronounced as his earlier almost upbeat attitude seemed to drain out of him. He started to walk away as Sans mentioned the other control panels, though he paused at the sight of the offered hand. The fuck did he want? Money? Another cigarette, perhaps?  
_Maybe he just wants to fuckin' hold hands._  
It was an amusing thought that made the corner of his mouth curl upwards again... though once he noticed the shaking it simply turned into a sneer. His feet scuffed against the ground as he all but snubbed the other skeleton's offer, only offering to chuckle at the ridiculous nickname. "Heh, I was always shit at fuckin' names... but I guess it's better than Mutt or Asshole." His shoulders hunched again as his face sank deeper into that scarf until only his eyes were visible, peering back at his counterpart for only a moment before turning to head along the path of puzzles.

Sans felt a little perk at the smile... only for it to drop right with the corner of his companion's mouth, pulling his hand in to join it's twin in one of his own pockets, following after at a touch slower pace than before. He'd overreacted, he knew that now, but... he'd never expected anyone to have that kind of LV and still be... civil? He knew the human got worse with every bit of EXP they got, sort of like drowning yourself by the mouthful.  
They walked in silence again, though this time it was strained and heavy by what he'd fucking said. Sans' thoughts quieted as they reached another set of puzzles, and he went to fiddle with the panel again. These codes were different, they all were. Puzzles inside puzzles. If he didn't hate puzzles just for the fact of how stars damned stupidly routine they were to him now, he might have enjoyed it like any other monster would. But every single one in the underground, he'd fixed, re-calibrated, solved, and solved again so many times he had them memorized. They were a chore, they were no longer an amusement to him. They were just another stupid thing in his way anytime he had to do anything.  
He paused before finishing the code input, looking at the other skeleton.Thinking of asking how different his puzzles had to have been. But he put in the last bit of code to deactivate them with another low, tired sound, the soft hum and snap of them turning off boringly familiar. He already missed the way they'd just seemed to click before. To just accept the bullshit they'd be dealt and head back for whatever small comfort they could scrounge up. And he'd royally screwed that by opening his stupid mouth.

While his companion tinkered with the control panel, he kept quiet off to the side, still staring at the ground, scuffing his shoe as he kicked at a rock that made its way towards the other. His gaze shifted to those dirty pink slippers, feeling his brows scrunch in a mix of confusion and amusement before lifting those bright lights further and taking in every detail as he worked. It felt like he couldn't tear his eyes away from that face, so tired, but full of concentration...  
He'd seen him smile. He had a face made for smiling. Maybe he could-... his whole body jumped when that face turned to look at him, his own shifting to turn his gaze absolutely anywhere but near the other as he felt that burning feeling creeping up his face again. When the silence persisted, he turned again to look at him in time to see that look of defeat. That tired sigh like the weight of the world was on his shoulders. He knew that look way too fuckin' well.  
Once they started walking again, he found himself fidgeting even more inside of his pockets as he tried to think. What could he say? Should he apologize again? But for what? Not holding his hand or somethin'? His gaze flickered over for a moment, eyeing the other's pocket before looking him up and down, the shadow of a smile beginning to form on those fangs again.  
"S-so... uh... does... _everybody_ in this universe look like they just rolled outta bed or... just you?" His hands finally left his pockets to lace behind his head, those eyes looking over his tired companion, but only for a moment before returning to the floor in front of him as they walked.

He gave a short laugh at the thought of everyone looking like him. Nothing would ever get done. "Nah, jus me. Everyone else prolly looks too energetic," he said, seeing how he moved his hands up in that casual position from the corner of his sockets. His own pockets were still full of hand, one fidgeting with the scarf as he kept his gaze sweeping about. He didn't know why, the only ones here were him and him.  
Heh. No one here but us me's.  
He felt himself need to ask. "Everyone in yers look like they dressed for a metal concert?" he commented, sounding far more playful now that they were talking again. He enjoyed that other voice, deeper and rough and just a touch of smoke to it.  
He smiled again as he kept thinking about it, keeping beside the other, having veered just a bit closer as the spoke. So he wouldn't have to raise his voice too much. It echoed real bad in these corridors.  
"I really hope there's some bottles left in the basement. Otherwise this walk's a real waste of time."

It wasn't even difficult to look absolutely affronted by the accusation that his fashion sense wasn't top notch, though the look melted into chuckling laughter that had his shoulders shaking, his own body seeming to want to veer closer until he was bumping slightly against him. He wiped away a few mirthful tears before finally taking on a more steady pace, though he didn't stray too far away.  
"Heh, yeah, actually. Lotsa leather and metal spikes." His smile flickered for a moment as he reached down to his neck, playing it off as an itch as his free hand hung loosely between the two of them. "I mean, some would say it was for protection, but really, it was just monsters wantin' to look tough an' shit. Too bad most of the real threats never looked like it. Well, except uh..." He let the statement die before it had a chance to leave his mouth, his fingers fiddling with the scarf before tugging it a bit closer to his face.  
"Heh. What? You got somethin' better to do? Besides, ya said everyone's what? Hidin'? Somebody _somewhere's_ gotta have some booze, right? Besides..."  
He'd moved closer... hadn't he? He didn't... seem scared anymore. Before he lost his nerve, he lifted his arm and let it drape over the other's shoulders again as he looked at him, giving him a devilish grin made all the more delightful with the addition of his glowing red cheeks. "Hangin' out with me ain't _that_ much a waste o' time, is it?"

The pause seemed to hang, until the other was draping an arm over him again, and Sans settled into it like the most natural thing in the world. "Heh, nah Red," he assured him, looking ahead to where the next panel was getting into view, if only to keep from seeming like he was going to stare at the other for the rest of the way, "speak'n of... should prolly give them the all clear once we know that fer sure... a day or two won't hurt. Jus to be sure the human... uh... actually is gone." He shrugged, feeling the weight of the other arm, and used it to drag him over closer to the panel so he could turn it off. "Last of these ones, should be smooth sail'n til we get to Hotland. Then it's just a matter of not melting," Sans chuckled, fingers seeming to move faster this time. Once the puzzle was deactivated, he nudged in closer to get his counterpart to start walking again.  
"An if I do have any booze left, we're finishing it off."

This was... this was actually _really_ nice. He couldn't ever remembering feeling so at ease in his life. Every passing minute it felt like... whatever that glitch was, it was a good goddamn miracle. His face settled into a comfortable smile as they moved along, his free hand reaching up to remove the cig from his teeth before blowing a smooth cloud up into the air.  
"Yeah, it'd, uh... be real shitty if everything glitched out again and... went back to normal." His gaze looked on for miles, seeing absolutely nothing and trusting his friend wouldn't lead him into a lava pit. That'd be a real dick move. Probably comical for any on-lookers, but without that power to poof out of danger...  
Fuck, what if he ended up back in _his_ universe without that power? He'd be so fu-  
His gaze shifted as Sans started talking again and he started realizing how close they'd become. The shrugging from before had shifted his arm up so that now it was hanging around his neck, his face linger so close to it, if he shifted just a bi-nope. Nuh uh.  
_What the actual fuck are you even thinking right now? Fuck sake!_  
He cleared his throat as he was nudged along and half-choked on his laugh before nodding his whole-hearted agreement. "Oh yeah. We're gonna need lots of booze."


	3. Comforts

"Heh, luck be on our side fer once," he commented, walking there next to the other him just as casual as could be. He'd finished his cig faster, and kind of wished he hadn't. He didn't have any at home, and stars knew when things would be back enough to some semblance of normal for the shops to be stocking reliably again. At least most of the more 'civilian' monsters had avoided being dusted, but there were still tons of casualties.  
The Guard had been decimated, families left to mourn, and everyone not dead was hiding in one of a handful of secure 'panic halls', as he'd jokingly called them. He'd never joke about that again, he realized, as they were starting to move with some actual pep to their step through Hotland's sweltering temperatures.  
"Shit's gonna be so weird," he said softly, fingering the scarf again, before he realized he was pretty much walking with his head on the other's shoulder. He contemplated moving it, but once he figured it wouldn't matter, he kept put.  
"Hey Red," he mumbled, "you... uh... said you were protect'n the kid... uh... they didn't happen ta be... y'know... when that yellow thing happened?"

Fuck, he could get real used to this. That weight on his shoulder had him hugging the other just a bit closer as they walked, his only answer to the question being a grunt before going silent for a good, long while. He flicked the butt of his spent cigarette off to the side as they finally hit the edge of Hotland, his steps slowing to a halt as they came nearer to the river.  
"Yeah. Right fuckin' in front o' me, too..." His grip tightened on Sans' shoulder as his face turned away...  
_You're so fuckin' useless. Couldn't even protect one kid. Literally couldn't protect anyone if your life depended on it._  
He tried to ignore the way his whole body trembled at the words echoing inside his skull.  
_And now there ain't **anyone** to protect 'em... fuck, now there might be two kids for Asgore to put down. _  
He grit his teeth a bit before taking a long, shuddering breath, turning his head as he let it out nice and slow. "Watched it happen again and again, but... last time was the only time I ever saw the star... Heh. Was your kiddo as much a pain in the ass to protect as mine?"

He could hear how upset Red was over it, and part of him just wanted to have not brought this up. But if they were going to make any sense of things, he needed to know more, and that was going to involve... unpleasant things. Being asked about protecting the human, he tensed and looked away as well, his voice turning strained and remorseful.  
"They aren't... kind... here," he answered as they were starting into the dripping caves, "...they're the reason everyone's hiding. Uh..." Sans felt rather reluctant to say it, but he took a deep breath and just went with it. "I was fighting them. In the Hall, an... it was the sixteenth time..." Sans made a sound, hoping the meaning to the words he wouldn't say came across. He felt like, if he said it out loud, it'd just mean it was true, that he'd killed them over and over again, and they'd made him do it. He really hated the thought of saying he'd killed - _anyone_ -. Even them.  
"An then you showed up... on like... some kinda reload."

'Red' remained quiet even after Sans had stopped talking... the number alone was enough to startle him, but the implications of what he'd had to do...  
He stared down at that smooth skull with wide sockets, listening to the silence being broken by nothing but their footsteps. He'd... he'd _killed_ the kid? Over and over again it sounded like, too... But it also sounded like... this kid had gone on some kind of killing spree.  
_Heh. I spend the whole time protectin' the kid from everyone... and he's gotta protect everyone from the kid._  
He came to a sudden stop as his grip tightened on Sans' shoulder, pulling him over into a tight hug as he tried tried to imagine... tried not to imagine. "Fuck, man... that... that had to be real fuckin' rough. I'm... I'm sorry you had to go through that and... and I really hope you don't hafta do it again." He squeezed his friend a little tighter before letting go and grasping his shoulders, looking him in the face with a serious intensity.  
"No wonder you look like hell... fuckin'... come on, buddy. Let's get you them drinks, huh?" He gave him a comforting smile and turned to start walking again, shoving one hand in his pocket, while the other took Sans' to lead him along.

The little startled noise at the abrupt stop was nothing compared to the one he made when he was pulled into that hug. His voice was reassuring, and he shivered before leaning into the embrace, feeling himself almost want to just stay like that. He'd not been hugged in what felt like ages... even when his brother-  
Sans stopped himself before that thought even went anywhere. When he was pulled back and given that look... he felt his eyelights constrict just the slightest bit, and he grinned at that smile. Sans didn't get a chance to reply before Red was leading him by the hand, and he trotted a moment to get up beside him, then fell into step.  
They went in relative silence the rest of the way, the first crunches of snow underfoot making him pause as he looked at the town. Everything was dark - all the lights that usually twinkled at all hours were off. No smoke rose from any chimney, and there wasn't a voice to be heard on the snowflake-dappled wind. He looked over the place. He'd left before it had gotten too bad, needing to get to Alphys so that the entire underground could be alerted. It might have meant a handful of other monsters lost, but it had also meant that they could make sure everyone was informed.  
That panic was avoided by getting the ones who knew what they were doing in place and handling the flow of monsters into the bunkers.

The sight of the familiar town had an odd feeling stir inside him... somewhere between comfort in the familiarity and distaste for the memories it brought with it. Aside from being a bit less beat up, the whole place looked the same.  
_So similar, but way less scarred. Kinda like **him**. _  
He shifted his gaze over to the other and squeezed his hand a bit, feeling oddly comfortable with the gesture, even if his soul started doing strange, fluttery dances when he focused on it too much. He hadn't held hands since... hell, since Paps had still been in stripes.  
"You... doin' alright?" Even with that rough growl to his voice he was able to keep it soft, trying to sound slightly less gruff than usual as he moved in closer to town and made his way to that all too familiar house. His gaze shifted up to it, looking it over and taking note how much more welcoming it looked without boarded up windows and barbed wire that was for much more than decoration.

The squeeze of his hand had seemed to be just what he needed, curling his fingers in to grip a little more firmly into the rough bones, nodding at the question and following in relative quiet as they got to the house. The colorful lights were off, and he really didn't know if he'd ever want to turn them back on. They'd been his brother's idea and handiwork, so leaving them but not using them... he shook his head as he nudged more towards the back of the house, moving to find the snow-covered doors that sheltered the stairs down to the actual basement door. It'd iced over since the last time he'd opened it, and the tiny icicles broke off without much trouble. Both narrow doors looked more like shutters, and he moved gingerly down the slightly-slick steps to unlock the door. Opening it up, it did smell a bit musty, but the fresh air was working to fix that.  
Sans walked around in the dark, finding the switch. The light the filtered down was more of a pale glow than anything, and the way it glinted off a half-dozen bottles had him grin as he looked back over at his friend. "Looks like we got lucky, buddy," he said as he was taking up the first bottle. It was unopened, though as he started gathering, he discovered it was the only one left sealed. The rest were about half empty each, aside from one that had maybe three or four swigs missing out of it.  
_Still better than nothing!_  
He took the top off the smallest option and tipped it back for a few gulps before giving a hissing sigh. "Fuck... I needed that."

He let out an amused laugh at the other's reaction to the alcohol, grabbing a few of the bottles himself to look them over. "Heh and to think you were worried. Looks like there's enough here to forget about... ehhh, the last few weeks. At least for a lil while. After that, there should be enough hangover to not be able to think straight. Then... I dunno. I'm sure we'll find some way to distract ourselves."  
He shot the other a wink before looking at the bottles again, contemplating taking a swig straight from the bottle as well, but...  
"Ready to take this party inside? Not that I don't enjoy hangin' in dank, dark basements, but I'm fuckin' _beat_."  
As much as it was true... it was also his way of checking up on his new friend. He knew what was waiting for the other back up in the house and he'd dealt with it himself already. Alone. He certainly wasn't about to let _anyone_ go through what he had. _Especially_ not some alternate version of himself. He knew all too well what kind of hell it was.

He looked at the bottle in his hand at the question, fingers tapping out his thoughts onto the glass container. He finished it off and set the empty bottle back on the shelf before turning to the other skeleton. "Yeah, best ta get drunk when you can pass out wherever ya end up," San said, his casual grin looking a bit forced, just as his tone had. He moved slowly, reluctant to really face what was waiting upstairs, but... they'd end up shivering to dust in the basement.  
So he went with an almost crawling pace, locking the door behind them and closing the hatch over the stairway before dragging his slippers through the snow around to the porch. It was locked, only because of the human. Before, they'd never locked it, but he'd be damned if that little... Sans mentally shooed the thoughts away before unlocking this door too, opening it without so much as a creak on the well-oiled hinges, and he went inside with the pace of someone going to a funeral.  
He stopped just beside the couch, not looking at the kitchen as he put the bottles in his grip on the low table and shuffled his feet as he went over to bring the furnace to life, hearing it kick on and start working up warmth for the two of them. Sans paused, finger still near the thermostat, remembering how they would change the settings... Paps had always said it was too hot, and would turn it down every so often. Sans always turned back up eventually.  
He didn't know how long he'd stared at the stupid thing, but when he looked back, he could tell it had been... quite awhile.

His gaze wandered around the inside curiously, taking in how _very_ different it was in here. Nothing was broken, torn, peeling... no claw marks on the walls. He looked at the wall just at the bottom of the stairs and felt his soul clench for just a moment.  
With a grunt, he pulled those crimson lights away and instead turned his attention to the couch, setting his own bottles down on the table before dropping back with a heavy thump. He peered over at Sans, frowning a bit at how lost he looked, just staring at the thermostat... he wondered what kind of memories were playing in his mind.  
"Hey, buddy. Not gonna leave me to drink alone now are ya?" It was almost surprising how cool and collected he sounded, wanting to lighten whatever dark feelings his new friend was having... his _only_ friend. "Fuck, you even got a tv! Does it work?" He popped open one of the half-drunk bottles and sniffed at it a bit before taking a swallow. With a grin he started drinking on it, his gaze looking around for the remote before finding it wedged between two cushions, his curiosity (and need to have some noise in the deafening silence) bid him turn the tv on.

"Heh, nah, sorry, just kinda spaced out there a minute," Sans replied, turning and moving to settle on a spot on the couch, only for the sound of one of Mettaton's quiz shows replaying to make him stop. Paps would always answer.  
His hands fidgeted in his pockets, one with the scarf and another with the keys and mishmash of things in the other one. He stood there a minute, listening, almost able to hear how his brother would reply to the open room with all confidence, usually getting them right. He gave a low chuckle and finished his trip to the couch, taking up a bottle to throw back another long swig before he could stand looking at the tv. Yup, same old metal box with flashy panels. Sans watched until the robot actually turned and gestured in a way that just... he couldn't deal with right now, one arm up and the other to one side of his body, and he turned his gaze down to the table.  
The colors of the television played on the glass and liquor, and that at least was something of a soothing show. He could handle that.  
Sans took another drink, his mind still trying to settle with everything that was trying to peek around corners and push into his consciousness.  
"Maybe t'morrow," he said when the show was into one of the quiet lulls that Mettaton had, put there for when his viewers would want to get a snack or such. He looked up, that lounging box actually looking relaxed, it was comical. He took another swig. "See if anythin happens."  
Sans didn't know for sure if Red knew, but he could tell the King was still alive, at least. He knew now that the lady behind the door was the old Queen, because it had felt like a shock to the soul when she'd been attacked. Hell, his own HP had chipped down a few notches from being unable to teleport past her barrier to go to her aid. And when she'd died... he'd felt that echoing hollowness in his ribs for hours. The distinct, palpable notion of failure. He drowned the feeling out with another mouthful.

Holy shit, everything about this world felt downright relaxing. Even their fucking robot looked like he wouldn't hurt a Froggit.  
"Huh?" His gaze shifted when he heard his friend speak up, looking him over and seeing just how on edge he still looked... a complete contrast to himself, who was slumped almost horizontal on the cushions, feeling like he was finally getting to breathe after a lifetime of constantly running and being on edge. "Y'know... back where I'm from... this show... iiiit's way fuckin' different. I mean, it was still a quiz show, sure, but the penalties for a wrong answer were a bit more... ah... gruesome? I never really had a taste for it... not like... not like Paps did..." He looked down at the scarf around his neck, his free hand tugging it out a bit to fiddle with the fabric.  
"He had such a crush on that loud-mouthed metal box, though if I ever teased him about it he'd..." The slight smirk he'd gained from re-living the memory of his brother's almost adorable obsession with the robot... slipped away when he remembered what _had_ happened when he'd poked at him about it. His fingers dropped the scarf and reached for his other arm, toying with a scar that told tales of broken bones mended messily back together.  
"M-...maybe somethin' else is on?"  
Without waiting for an answer he started flipping through the channels, trying to ignore the way his hand trembled as it held the remote.

He seemed to latch more on to what the other was saying, because it wasn't something that was dredged up out of his own head. He gave a melancholy smile as he mentioned the crush that their brothers had in common, and he nodded a bit, feeling like he wanted to cry, but... it just had this sucking ache in his soul for a moment, and he took another heavy gulp of that burning liquid.  
He missed the way Red had looked, too absorbed in his own mental state, but... when he started flipping through the channels, he'd find static, snow, fuzz, and the occasional smear of what could be a poorly received signal that was accompanied by a bundle of unpleasant noise. Sans reached over and took the remote, turning it off when it just kept looping through those options.  
"Nothin' else would be active," he muttered as he let the remote drop, not caring where it ended up right now. He checked his bottle - still some cupfuls left, and he drained out a shot, "someone prolly missed the reruns play'n or somethin..." Sans looked down and noticed the other was toying with a sleeve, pushing it about to feel something hidden under the fabrics, but he just drowned the question with more booze.  
"He's gone too," his voice choked, sloshing more of his drink in place of trying to keep talking, not sure if he really should have said it. Somehow he seemed to want to recount who had been lost, the ones he knew of, as if that would make anything any better.

When the remote was taken, all attention was back on Sans... and at those choked words, he was quickly moving over to sit closer to him, slipping his arm back around those shoulders to hug him closer.  
"Sorry... I've never... I've never been good at comfortin' anyone. Or... dealin' with shit like this. I mean... heh, fuck... back where I come from it was a constant shitfest of every monster out for themselves, dustin' monsters for... well, fuckin' anything really. Only times I ever did was to protect Paps... well... and myself." He shook his head at the memory, choosing to focus on Sans instead... he wanted to say _something_ comforting, but fuck, what could he even say?  
_This place is fuckin' paradise compared to my world. At least all you had to worry about was one malicious little kid._  
He leaned over and rested his brow against the side of Sans' skull, the hand still clutching his bottle tapping lightly against it before he spoke, his voice deep, but soft as smoke. "I'm... I'm here for ya. Ain't... nobody gonna hurt ya. And you don't gotta hurt nobody again. And... if you wanna talk... or cry, or yell, or fuck-...f-fuckin'... I dunno. W-wanna fuckin' hit me and vent and get out everythin' you're bottlin' up..." His face was burning, though he _prayed_ the close proximity kept it at least partially hidden. "I can take it. Anythin' ya need, Sansy."

It seemed the permission was all he'd needed to let it start flowing out, holding that bottle in his hands and staring at it as he spoke. Forgetting he was really saying anything, for the time being, and just... telling him.  
"It started with the lady behind the door... t-then Paps... an the dogs, then... then Undyne, an a buncha... buncha other monsters. By the time they'd reached Mettaton... everyone was on lockdown. And when they got past him..." Sans shook his head, sockets clenched shut as he bolted down what was left in the bottle before he gritted his teeth and held that empty glass tight in his bony hands. "I shoulda fuck'n _done_ something about that human sooner! Shoulda jus... just fought them soon as they came outta the Ruins. Before they had the chance to hurt anyone else. But I _didn't_ ," his voice cracked, sliding his hands up to cover his face, "I just let them destroy so goddamn much. I should have known... th-they wouldn't stop. I knew they were going to kill everyone. _I knew_." He felt the tears again, and he hated himself for it. For pitying himself for his absolute failure. Towards everyone.  
"I don't fuck'n deserve ta be here. Not when I just... never did anythin until it was too late." He turned and grabbed hold of that heavy, thick leather jacket and pushed his face to hide in the comfort he felt like shit for wanting. His soul ached and he shivered until he rattled as he cried into his other self's shoulder for stars knew how long.  
When he finally ran out of tears again, his voice was a reedy, pitiful squeak. "It's my fault."

It felt like his whole body was constricting as the other cried into him, his own lights going hazy before he set the bottle on the table and shifted to take the other skeleton into his arms, hugging around him and shifting his jacket until his slightly smaller self was enveloped in the warmth and darkness that smelled of sweat and leather and smoke. A hand stroked gently against the back of his skull as he let him cry himself out, finding almost as much comfort in the gesture as he was trying to give out... even under the shitty circumstances this felt... oddly nice.  
"Fuck that." His voice was still soft and comforting as he leaned in to rub those sharp teeth gently against the side of Sans' skull. "You ain't the one fuckin' murderin' a buncha innocent monsters... and if not for you, who knows. The kid mighta wiped _everyone_ out. Ya can't blame yourself for all the bad shit you _coulda_ stopped..." He leaned back just enough to slip a hand down beneath his chin, tipping it up so he could see those teary sockets.  
"Ya gotta remember what you _did_ do. There's still monsters alive _right now_ 'cause o' you. Remember that."

Sans hiccuped several more gasps and sobs, almost collapsing against his friend ans he held him in to a tighter hug. He just wanted to stay in that comforting warmth and presence the other was... admittedly so good at. It helped, and he hated himself for how much it helped.  
He choked out a series of short, low gasps before he could speak again.  
"I don't deserve it," he whined, there was no other way to describe how he was speaking. It was a high, desperate whine. "I sh-should'a... I knew... they died b-because I didn't..." Sans broke into more dry sobs, hands shaking even as he gripped the leather of that jacket and pulled Red in to just feel him close again. For that comforting presence that he shouldn't want to be given.  
Sans regretted ever letting that human near Snowdin, let alone anyone he cared about, his brother, so many lives that did nothing wrong...  
"I hope they forgive me," Sans whispered, his soul feeling like it were in a vice.

The way he was speaking broke his heart, making him want to hold him tight and never let go. Never let anyone fuckin' hurt him. He was reminded so much of himself on far more than just a physical level. He _knew_ the pain of losing everyone he cared about, though he had a feeling his list was much shorter.  
"They will. And if they don't, _fuck 'em_. They didn't have to fuckin' make the choices that were put upon you. It shouldn'ta been your burden to bear, but you stepped up anyways. Everyone else fuckin' ran and hid, but you fought back _knowin'_ you might die."  
He pulled Sans as close as he could, keeping his arms around him as if he were protecting him from the entirety of the world. "You don't deserve to be judged for what you _could_ have done. Fuck, if anything, you deserve a fuckin' _break_. You said it was what? Fifteen times ya had to fight the murderin' lil asshole? You coulda thrown in the towel any time and just let 'em do whatever... but ya didn't. You kept it up right until... whatever the fuck happened with that glitch."  
He nuzzled his face against that smooth skull again, his hands slowly sliding up and down the other's body as he encouraged him to relax in the embrace. "I'm... I dunno how or why or what happened, but... I'm... I'm glad it happened."

He felt like every bit of that embrace was shielding him from scrutiny, even from himself, and Sans tried to collapse more into the comfort.  
"Heh... never knew talk'n to myself would get such results," he mumbled from inside the soothing darkness, his sockets hooding as the sliding touches had him laxing in place, his bones no longer shaking. After several minutes' silence, he unburrowed only long enough to claim another bottle, tip it to chug whatever remained, and then reach for another, unscrewing the top as he leaned his shoulder into Red's sternum.  
"Jus' hope... doesn't reverse... cuz then... fuck I dunno if I can do that again, man. I... I dunno if I can stand there any more and just... wait to feel myself die." Sans took a swig and rested his cheek against that larger clavicle, tucked close to his friend's chest as he tried to reconcile things. "I know I can't jus let them go, if they came back... I'd... I'd die b'fore I'd let them... jus walk past me again. Th-they got so many ch-chances ta stop..."  
His voice had dropped again, and he drank down another few swallows of booze before he leaned into Red more, glad for his presence. "Heh, fer a guy bad at dealin' with shit... ya sure know how ta handle me." He moved a hand and found one of Red's to grip, feeling that sturdy bone under his own, almost anchoring him as he spoke.  
"I'm glad yer here, Red," he said softly, swallowing a sob, "e-even if it means... everythin's stay'n like this now. Like... like the resets are gone. I'll never see Pap-" Sans squeezed his sockets shut, stemming another bout of tears that would end only with him wishing he'd done more, regretting that he'd not stepped up sooner, and made it come out.  
"I'll never see Pap again. That nothing is coming back, only... only going forward." Sans took another long, deep breath, another swig, and a second breath. "Paps would want me... ta not..."  
He needed a bit more to drink before he could continue. "N-not stop."

When Sans leaned over to grab another bottle, he did as well, reclaiming the one he'd set aside before turning and shifting, his knees pushing up under Sans' until he had him practically sitting in his lap. He drank quietly as his friend let his emotions spill out of him, feeling his soul ache for the other having his entire life ripped away from him. A _good_ life.  
If the kid back home had gone on a killing rampage... he wasn't so sure he'd feel particularly inclined to stop them. At the feel of that other hand claiming his own, he felt his soul flutter and he gave that smooth hand a squeeze with his scarred fingers, his eyes lingering on the stark contrast between the two until... his breath caught in his chest at the words.  
_"I'm glad yer here, Red..."_  
Hot tears pricked at the corners of his sockets and he felt like a complete idiot for it. For the first time in his life... someone was _glad_ he was around... for nothing more than a comforting presence. _Stars_ , how long had he wanted to hear those words? While Sans spoke of his brother, he almost couldn't pay attention, concentrating wholeheartedly on shifting his body so that he was nearly completely enveloping the other against himself, even his hand turning to lace their fingers together so it couldn't slip away. When he finally spoke again... it was like a gentle fog rolling over water... a whisper right next to Sans' ear.  
"I just... I know what _I_ wanted... when Pap... died... When I was alone. Dealing with all the shit the world had to offer... with no one to go home to. I..." His voice trailed off as his mind went back to those times, lingering on the pain and sadness before he drowned them in a few deep gulps that emptied the half-filled bottle.  
He let the emptied bottle drop to the floor so he could free his hand and bring it around his friend, hugging him tight as he nuzzled his face against the side of Sans' head, trying to hide the tears that had started to stream along his face, though he couldn't hide the ones that worked their way into his voice.  
"That first year... I barely left the house. Fuckin'... laid in bed and stared at the ceiling for days. Tried to just fuckin'... I dunno, sleep everything away. When that didn't work, I tried to drink it all away. Worked for a while... but eventually..." His unkept hand slowly started sliding in that comforting fashion again, though he wasn't sure if he was trying to comfort Sans or himself. "Eventually, I just had to fuckin' deal with it. Paps was gone and... I was alone. I..." His sockets clenched tight and he brought that rubbing hand over to try and wipe the tears from his face, feeling a resolute determination that he'd never felt before boiling inside of him. His hand cupped the other's face and turned it so they were socket to socket, so close he could smell the booze on the other's breath.  
"You ain't gonna fuckin' deal with this shit alone. Even if everythin' reverses, I'll find a fuckin' way to get back here. I'll tear through fuckin' time and space if I have to. I ain't ever gonna fuckin' leave you, Sansy. I promise... and I don't ever fuckin' make promises I don't plan on keepin'."


	4. Early to Rise

He subconsciously helped the other adjust around him, fingers curling into the ones between his own leaning in just enough to have that voice against the side of his face. He listened, taking the occasional gulp as he was hugged in more. It felt so good, being there, warm with him, held close and trying to just sort through the bullshit. Not being all alone.  
Sans didn't realize he'd begun to space out, just listening to him talk, until he had his head turned to look at those red eyelights, right up to where he could smell the booze. He hiccuped and leaned into the palm, sockets hooding shut as he heard Red promise him... he hated making promises, but hearing it from another him... made it so much stronger.  
"Thanks," he choked out, leaning in until his brow was pressed against the lower edge of his jaw, feeling entirely comfortable and calm in his embrace, "I... I think, maybe, I kinda needed that." Sans took another swig of his bottle, finishing it off, and looked at the still-pristine seal on the last one. "Heh..." he said, pulling it over into his lap, looking over at his friend, "think this'll get us done fer the night, Red? I really could use a fuck'n snooze."

"I dunno, maybe I should cut you off, buddy." He pulled the bottle from the other's hands, holding it out of reach as he looked it over, then unlaced their fingers so he could twist it open and take a nice, long drink. He offered it back with a warm smile, waiting until it was taken to curl his arms around him, feeling comfortably warm and tingly all over. "Man, a nap sounds fuckin' amazin' right now." As he curled a bit closer, he couldn't help but nuzzle affectionately against the other's neck, that steady stream of booze finally lowering his inhibitions enough to make him far less shy about the strange magnetic attraction he felt towards his doppelganger.  
"Mmmmn, you plannin' on snoozin' on the couch or you wanna take this bottle upstairs before we can't walk straight... or y'know, at all." His chin rested on Sans' shoulder as he felt his sockets already getting heavy, one of his hands slowly rubbing and reaching in search of that hand he'd held before, missing the weight and warmth of it.

"Hey now," he started, leaning in as the other pulled it away, "ain't cool, takin my own booze." He chuckled as he took the bottle back, taking a long swig of his own as Red bundled up with him. He let it drop with a satisfied sigh, the nuzzling making him feel even warmer, snuggling into the touches. "Man, I dunno what I'm plannin, buddy. I mean... y'wanna head up ya can be mah guest. If ya do, can carry me if ya want," he said with another low chortle.  
His hand moved almost at the same time, finding that grip and lacing his fingers into it as he tipped the bottle back again, several heavy gulps taking up his concentration before offering it back to the other. "Fuck, I hope t'morrow is better'n the last few days," he said, leaning until his head was resting against Red's as well, "dunno if I can stand any more shit right now."

"Heh. Don't worry, buddy. If _anything_ tries to give ya shit, I'll be there to deal with it." He let his fingers toy with the others' reveling in the feel of that smooth bone beneath his, a chipped fingertip circling slowly along his palm as he contemplated the near-challenge. He hadn't done any heavy lifting in a while, but...  
With a grin he slipped his free arm beneath Sans' knees, keeping a tight grip on the neck of the bottle as he shifted rather easily up onto his feet. He wobbled ever so slightly as the booze hit him, but it only took a few seconds to recover. "Alright, princess. I bet I can make a pretty good guess which is _your_ room." He was lighter than Red had expected and... really it made him feel amusingly strong as he carried him up the stairs and to that room at the end of the hall, carefully shifting the door open before taking him inside.  
"Heh. Feels like home." It wasn't a complete lie. His own room had been a bit more messy and, well... there was a _hell_ of a lot more damage from his many rounds of rough play with Paps... with a soft sigh he moved towards the bed, kicking off his shoes before he turned to take a seat, grinning at the skele cradled in his arms. "Want me to sing a lullaby and rock ya to sleep, too? I mean, I'm a shit singer, but I can try.... after a bit more o' this." He slipped his arm out from beneath those legs and took a long pull from the bottle before offering it... then pulling it away when he went to reach, which just caused him to grin and chuckle before finally handing it over.

Sans just let him cart him away, head leaning in against his arm as the swaying alone was damn near putting him to sleep, though once they sat on the bed and he was being hugged up against again, he was more focused on that, and cuddled into the embrace. "Nah man," he mumbled when the lullaby was offered, then huffed at the tease with the bottle, pounting as he took another swig.  
"Yer a real joker, buddy. Think ya mighta fergot the rest'ah the deck, tho," he said, another mouthful in before he gave the bottle back to his friend. He leaned into that larger chest, a low, almost humming groan of relaxation as he let his sockets hood almost shut.  
"Gonna sleep so good," he said after a bit, his voice low and smooth, even past the slight warble of inebriation, "fuck, man... really hope yer still here in the morn'n... I'd miss ya real bad."

Boy, this skele knew just what to say to make his soul race and flutter, didn't he?  
"Awww, ya make it sound like ya like me or somethin'." His face was completely taken over by that pleased grin as he leaned in to nuzzle the top of Sans' skull, letting it linger for a good long while before he finally leaned up to take another long drink from the bottle and set it beside the bed. "Nah, I ain't goin' anywhere, sweetheart."  
He shifted to set Sans on the bed before finally removing his jacket, so he was left in his torn up sweater, shorts and as always... his brother's scarf. He fingered the fabric for a moment in thought, contemplating whether or not he should remove it... before deciding to leave it be. After a nice long stretch he fell back onto the mattress beside his new friend, keeping his arms above his head as he got that deliciously warm, sinking feeling that came with his level of inebriation.  
"Fuck... I'm gonna sleep better'n I have in my whole life." He turned his head just a bit so he could look at the other skeleton, that warm smile still lingering even as he sockets threatened to close for the night. "Yer welcome to... y'know... hold onto me or whatever. Make sure I don't disappear in the middle of the night." He could feel the faint blush from the booze become far more pronounced, though he tried to ignore it, letting his sockets finally fall shut as sleep threatened to claim him.

"Oh, sure," Sans quipped, just laying wherever he fell, his head sinking into a bundle of shirts as he let his sockets slip shut, feeling where the other monster ended up near him on the bed. He took a minute to remember he was still wearing his own jacket before wriggling his arms free of the sleeves and somehow managing to get it off the bed without ending up following it to the floor.  
He was dozy, and warm, and the little skeleton was already bundling up closer to Red, an arm thrown over the bigger ribs. "Make sure ya don't drift off," he mumbled as his head dropped into the bedding, brow almost resting against the curve of Red's upper humerus as he was already feeling the booze beckoning him into sleep.  
The comfort of his friend added to the effects, and withing minutes he was dozing with just the slightest sound of his breath against the other's sweater.

~ ~ ~ ~

Before he'd even gotten an hour's rest, the nightmares were pushing him awake, curling tight into the other monster and gripping wherever he held, gasping out a choked gasp before his sockets shot open. Sans bolted upright, looking around, left eye flaring and several constructs springing up around them, every nerve on edge as he looked for the dagger that had flashed to the side of his vision. Sans gasped for air, gaze darting until it landed on Red.

After spending his whole life on edge, the sudden movement had him shooting his own sockets open as his dreamless sleep was interrupted, though thanks to the booze and feeling far more at ease than he ever had, he was sluggish in moving to sit up. Once those crimson lights landed on Sans and took in his appearance, he sobered up a bit more to bring his hands up and clasp the other's shoulders.  
"H-hey, buddy, what's wrong...." Slowly his mind caught up with his mouth and he looked the over once more. "Huh... you get the nightmares, too? It's... It's alright, Sansy." He shifted his arms around his friend to pull him into a hug, holding him close and nuzzling sleepily against his shoulder. "You're alright. I gotcha. Red's got ya, sweetheart." His hands slid slowly up and down his back in the same comforting fashion as before, though now his strokes were long and slow as sleep and alcohol weighed on him. "What... what happened... if ya don't mind me askin'?"

He shook as the hands his his shoulders, breath going faster before he used the focus of those other eyelights to steady himself, leaning into the embrace at the same time he was being pulled in, grasping the sweater and gasping out tearless sobs. He felt the nuzzles, and the way his voice seemed to wrap him in a much more soothing blanket than anything else right now, the hand petting along his back as he finally managed to have enough control over himself to speak.  
"F-fight'n... again, an... the knife, I kept dodgin', and it... it almost hit me," Sans flinched as he moved his hand to his chest, where that blade had buried before, where it had started killing him before Red had shown up. When he'd been living and dust all at once. "I was so t-tired, an... they didn't stop..." he added in a croak, pushing his face into the sweater as he worked to steady himself more from the assurances of his friend. He took several long, deep breaths, until he thought, maybe, he could try to sleep again.  
"O-okay... I think I'm okay," Sans whispered, looking up at the crimson eyelights, "thanks."

The feel of the other shifting his hand between them had him turning his head to see the way he held his chest...  
_Hmmm... almost, huh?_  
He brought one of his hands around and slid it up beneath the other, touching gently at his sternum before rubbing slowly up and down in that comforting fashion. Stars, was he this smooth _everywhere_? "You're safe now... ain't nobody gonna hurt you while I'm around, alright?"  
He rested his brow against Sans' and looked deep into those sockets, feeling a warmth spreading through him that had nothing to do with the booze. Even his eyes looked soft, especially this close. Those crimson lights shifted down and lingered on his smooth teeth for a few long moments before he shifted and pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead. "Let's get some rest, Sansy. You've fuckin' earned it." With one hand still pressed gently to his sternum, he pressed the other skele slowly back down onto the bed with his other arm curled tightly around him to hold him close.  
He tried and failed to stifle a slight yawn as he felt sleep tugging him back in, that soft smile lingering on his face as his arm shifted up to wrap just above his shoulders, hugging him in until their brows rested together once more, his voice coming out in a sleepy, satisfied tone. "Don't worry... I got ya, baby."

His breath hitched as his sternum was touched, but he settled into it after feeling how it comforted him, the words settling around him as their brows nudged together, and he looked up to his friend with a soft sigh. The kiss had him hood his sockets shut, feeling so very tired still, and it was almost like it had wiped away the rest of his strain, falling back with a gentle _whump_ on the bed. He hugged Red in more, the feel of his larger frame helping to make the skeleton more secure and relaxed, doziness creeping back up into him as he found one of Red's hands to lace their fingers together again.  
"Night, Red," Sans said, his name being slurred as he managed to drift back off into a sound sleep.

A deep, but gentle growl rumbled in his chest as their fingers laced, his sockets remaining open in thin slits as he watched the other doze off and he remained vaguely vigilant in his need to make sure Sans was going to sleep alright. After a while he couldn't help but doze off as well, keeping their hands laced just over his sternum as he felt himself going limp. He wasn't sure how long he was out, though he knew he had dreamt this time.  
It was the same dream every night and by now he was used to it... used to seeing his brother crumble to dust in his arms... that look of surprise in his eyes before his lights flickered out into nothing... used to seeing that dust scatter in the air like dirty, falling snow with nothing but a ratty red scarf to show that there had ever been a monster standing there in the first place. His socks pried open slowly and instead of looking over into an empty bed... he was staring right into that beautifully soft-looking face.  
_Fuckin'... stars... am **I** this good lookin'? Ain't no fuckin way we're the same monster... he's just so..._  
He took a long, deep breath as he continued to stare, admiring every little feature of his doppelganger before he slowly became very aware of just how close they were. And... how very asleep the other was. Blissfully unaware. He could just... he felt his soul vibrate with a nervous excitement... he... he _could_...  
_I mean... what would the harm be... right?_  
He felt his face heating up again as he leaned in, his fingers tightening with the others as he sockets fell shut and he felt that little tingle of magic as he kissed him, letting it linger as he reveled in that pleasant buzzing feel against his teeth. When he pulled back, he turned his face, hiding it against his shoulder as he grinned, feeling his whole skull burning brightly in embarrassment.  
_Fuuuck, man. You've got it **bad**._

Sans slept through it, though in the moment of that tiny spark of magic, he moved just a bit in, then seemed to lax as the other moved away, dozing silently and in total peace in the other's embrace. Even as they lay there for stars knew how long, it was like Red's presence was keeping the nightmares at bay now, everything was peaceful blackness that actually let Sans rest, rather than just be unconscious for however long he could keep it going.  
By the time it was brightening outside, both skeletons were cuddled in closer than they had before, fingers still entwined. Sans' legs had tucked up slightly, just enough to have a knee resting against one of Red's iliac crests, and his brow was tilted down into the scarred clavicle and worn sweater. He'd breathed in Red's scent all night, letting him sleep deeper and lending a calmness that he'd almost never really appreciated before. He didn't want to wake up, his mind somewhere in that lingering tiredness of conscious and sleeping, able to go either way.  
And Sans really wanted to just sleep more. To not have to wake up and face reality. He knew Paps was dead... he knew so many people were gone. He didn't want things to reset, because he'd lose Red. He'd lose the sudden support he'd been longing for, literally just dropping into place. But if they had... maybe he could make it better. Could convince the Queen that the human wasn't innocent, that she needed to stop them... no, that kind of thinking... he wouldn't want the Queen to kill anyone, she was too kind. Even if it meant her own death, he somehow knew she'd never do it.  
If everything reset, he'd lose Red.

Red was more than happy to let him enjoy his blissful slumber, remembering all too well what it was like to wake up every night, crying out for someone who was no longer there. Of having reality crash down onto him every fucking morning until he'd simply grown increasingly numb to it. No, he was more than happy to just lie there, watching the other sleep and look so wonderfully peaceful. If everything went back to how it was and he was sent back to his own world, he was certain he'd spend the rest of his life searching for a way to get back to this face. To get back to this version of himself he wanted to protect more than anything.  
A version of himself he... he could actually _give a damn_ about.  
Carefully he uncurled their fingers, bringing his hand up, but hesitating as he watched to make sure he'd be staying asleep before he slowly ran his cracked knuckles along that smooth cheek, looking over that face as if memorizing every little detail.  
"Fuck, Sansy... I dunno what kinda spell you put on me, but... I'm fuckin' _yours_." His voice was little more than a breath of whispered words as he cupped that face and let his thumb continue to stroke along his cheek, those bright crimson eyes still watching him carefully as he rested his brow against the other and let out a gentle sigh.

He didn't stir, even as he was being spoken to and touched, as if it were the most wonderfully relaxing thing his body could feel. He responded minutely to the fingers, moving into them, leaning in a little more, curling himself closer to Red, breath coming in gentle, rested puffs. When he finally did rouse any, it was just a groan as he silvered his sockets open, looking down at the worn sweater before he followed it up to the face he was so very glad hadn't disappeared overnight. He felt himself smile, looking up at the ruby glow of those other eyelights, though he didn't want to stretch yet.  
Stretching meant moving, and moving meant you might wake up more.  
He didn't speak, just gazed up and kept looking into the other's sockets. Sans realized their fingers weren't laced, and his arm slid to where it started looking for the other hand, sliding it up is arm until it was cupping the back of his hand. He hooded is sockets shut and leaned in more, groaning in want to continue resting, but also he just... really didn't want to think about things right now.  
_Just wanna be happy fer a few minutes, is all..._

When he felt the other stirring, he peered down and was met with those soft eyelights that had him blushing profusely as he smiled. "Heheh, mornin', sleepin' beauty. Get enough rest?" He leaned down and pressed another gentle kiss to his forehead and let his fingers lace with the other, his other arm adjusting ever so slightly to curl his fingers around his shoulder. As his body shifted he became all too aware of that leg curled up on his hip and he shifted his own leg in between the others' to hook behind them and pull their lower halves closer together.  
"You need anythin'?" He squeezed those fingers against his cheek before curling them together and pulling them over to his mouth, kissing gently along those smooth knuckles as he kept that bright gaze on the other's face... feeling a bit curious how he'd react to the open affection. He'd never had the chance to express such things back home... not even with Paps. The way it made his soul pulsate with warmth was almost addictive and he could see himself getting far too attached to his... _friend_.

" _Pffft_ ," came the retort to the sleeping joke, going easily along with all the readjustments his doppelganger made, bundling in closer and shaking his head and he leaned down to nuzzle under his chin, sockets hooding shut again with a satisfied little snort.  
Sans' body stiffened in a slight stretch before laxing, almost melting into the larger monster's front as he settled in to try to snooze more. He wanted to stay like this, just comfortable and content in Red's arms. That wouldn't be so bad, right? Just for a bit. Then he'd get up and... search for any signs of the human. He could tell Asgore hadn't died, he'd of been woken the moment he would be attacked, but he also felt... a slight unease perhaps? When he focused on the thoughts of the King, it would sometimes key him in to if he was needed or not, some effect of his standing as Judge and whatnot. Nothing had called him to stand in Judgment either, so the Hall was empty.  
Sans sighed, trying to put those things out of his mind, just a little longer. He could take a little more time. He needed it... Red had helped him when he was finally about to just let it end, had given him a chance to get up and keep going, like his brother would want.


	5. Early to Fall

If he'd negated the human, somehow, then the Underground was safe again. Sorrowful and in a sad state, but safe. The King would know how to bolster everyone, even with their losses. He knew Grillby would have Snowdin handled, somehow able to give anyone who stepped into the bar just what they needed to give it another shot, to at least try again tomorrow. Waterfall would still be reeling from the loss of Undyne, and the rest from Mettaton's end... how the human had managed to kill a _ghost_ monster was still beyond him, but... there was nothing left of the robot, or his soul. He worried for Alphys, knowing that with neither of them, she... she might not make it.  
Sans' features pinched in concern as he thought about her, alone once lockdown was over. Even when she had complained of Mettaton's constant maintenance work and times when Undyne would be away too long, he knew they were both dear to her. Perhaps so dear that she might end up Falling Down. Sighing as he opened his eyes, he looked back up at Red, his thoughts tumbling too loudly for him to be able to fall back asleep yet.  
"Things are fucked," he said in a soft, raspy voice, "I dunno how long... it'll take for things to be okay again."  
His gaze lowered, though he didn't really focus on anything except to way Red's hand felt against his, the scent of their still-booze-laced breath, and the way he felt so at ease there with his companion.  
"I dunno if Alph'll be okay."

"Shhhh, we're not worryin' about all that right now." His gave the other a sad smile, knowing how badly his mind must be latching on to every bad thing that had happened. "Right now, we're focusin' on _you_. We'll check up on everyone later, includin' Al. If there's one thing I know about that crazy broad, it's how her scientific curiosity'll override anything. And just wait 'til she gets a load o' me." His smile curled into a bit more of an amused grin that touched his eyes as he thought about how to best distract his friend from the woes of the world, but... he could only think of how he'd distracted _himself_ back home, and he doubted that would work so well here.  
With a soft sigh he unlaced their fingers and slipped his leg out from between the others', shifting his body as if to get up, but instead he simply rolled himself overtop of his smaller companion, arms curling behind his neck and shoulders as his knees rested on either side of those bony hips.  
"Now, let's try this again..." He let his brow rest against Sans' as his grin spread a little wider, those bright red eyes surprisingly soft as he gazed down to those white lights.  
"What can I do for _you_?"

His gaze focused on Red's face as he spoke, enjoying the way his eyes matched his smile. The dozy skele just lingered on watching his friend's face, the way he spoke helping to sweep out all the scattered worries and concerns so that he could just have some peace. When the other was shifting, ending up braced over him, those pale eyelights flickered, though he didn't even feel the ghost of a desire to struggle. He moved with him, looking up with the kind of expression that was both curious and accepting. His breath caught as he heard those words, soul flitting in his ribs as his hands moved up to grip at the sweater, shaking slightly as he let his mouth gap open, as if to say something, only to have his voice feel lost.  
Sans looked up, questioning, before he slid his arms up to hug Red closer, hooding his sockets shut and using that larger frame to steady himself again. He nuzzled his brow to the one against it, feeling the warmth of the other monster close and encompassing, relaxing him with each breath. "This is good, Red," he murmured, not letting go, just... glad for the comforting presence.

He wasn't being pushed away and Sans certainly didn't look uncomfortable, so he was more than happy to stay right where he was, tipping his face a bit to nuzzle their nosebones together. "Good... heh." His fingers slowly traced along his ribs through his shirt as his face began to shift, growing softer as thoughts flooded his mind. "This... whole thing... endin' up here... with... with you... it..." His gaze shifted away as he felt his words begin to falter, his sockets burning as he fought back some unwanted tears as he thought about just how wonderful this felt right now. He let them fall shut as he took a deep breath and nuzzled his face down against the side of his friends skull, letting his words roll softly from his mouth.  
"It's... the first good thing that's ever happened to me. My whole life... I've always been scared and on edge. It was all... kill or _be_ killed. This is..." He lifted his head again so he could look down at Sans, his face scrunched as he still tried to fight the tears that had started to appear at the very edges of those sockets, the smile on his face awkward as he tried to express things he'd never thought he'd know. "Bein' here with you, right now... I've never felt so... safe. Relaxed. Like I don't ever wanna leave..."  
His face burned a bright red as he squeezed the smaller skele a little closer and let their brows press together once again. "I... don't ever wanna leave _this_. I wanna stay right here... to protect ya and make _you_ feel safe. And to..." He felt himself growing hotter as those bright crimson lights reflected every ounce of nervousness he felt. "A-and to... make ya feel _good_ , too."

Hugging him in more as he felt that face nuzzling at the crook of his neck, Sans listened with his own sockets hooded shut too, just to take in more of Red. As Red lifted back again, he looked up, watching those bright red lights, even with his features scrunched up with that off-kilter grin. He found his thumbs wiping at the magic accumulating at the corners of those sockets, tipping his brow to meet Red's without letting his gentle grip on that face change. His white eyelights met the crimson ones as he heard his friend, and understood it all to well. Sans moved his hand, fingertips trailing against the lower edge of that sharp mouth, still gazing up at him with the same calm look on his face.  
"I hope you don't disappear," he whispered, running his hands in soft motions along that face, "you need to be here. With me." Sans hooded his sockets almost shut, taking in a deep, shivering breath that didn't help to steady his fluttering, pulsing soul. When he looked back up, he tipped his face up to brush their teeth together, that spark of magic rousing a soft, happy noise from the smaller. Laying back, he smiled up at him again, fingers brushing against the rough bone and cradling his features. "I need you here, Red. You... you know how it feels," his voice dropped, gaze sliding away a moment, "how I feel. All the time."  
Another long pause separated his thoughts, a soft intake of breath before he continued. "I've felt... drawn to you. Since you got here. Like I missed you for forever."

The small kiss sent a pulse of electricity down his spine that spread through his body with a pleasant tingle. It felt so much better coming from him. "Y-yeah, I... I know whatcha mean." He leaned his face into the other's hands, his brightly colored face turning in a lame attempt to hide the giddy grin he was sporting. One after another, he planted little kisses against the heel of his hand before working down that arm, turning before he got to his elbow to hesitantly plant a string of kisses up his neck.  
"I ain't goin' nowhere, Sansy. You're right. I _need_ to be here. I ain't ever... ever felt like this in my life and... I don't ever wanna live without this... without _you_... ever again."  
He buried his face deeper into the crook of Sans' neck, whining softly at his own embarrassment at confession such mushy feelings. It made him feel like an idiot, but... he was certainly feeling like a happy idiot. There was a soft groan as he found himself inhaling that foreign scent, letting it linger in his skull as he finally cracked his sockets back open, staring at that smooth, slender neck in front of him. With a slight smirk, he leaned in, playfully licking and nibbling at the bone while his fingers tightened their grip around him and played with his ribs more pointedly. Part of him was sincerely hoping that this would serve as a good distracting from the way his lower half was wiggling like a happy dog wagging its tail.

Even when looking shy about it, Sans enjoyed the way the other's features shifted and flushed, fingers caressing as long as they kept contact with the other. As the kisses started, he felt his own face curling into a bashful grin, eyelights shimmering a bit before he was brushing up that neck. Hugging him in more with one arm around those shoulders, the other slid his hand up to find one of Red's, to lace their fingers together again as he shivered under the attentions. A soft gasp escaped him as that sharp mouth started at his cervical vertebrae, a little noise in his throat as he felt the gentle way his companion was touching him. Giving even more of a reason for him to not want to get up out of bed.  
"Red," he murmured, hooding his sockets as he squirmed just a bit, feeling himself warming under the other's constant motions, "yer... welcome ta stay right there, doin' what yer doin..." Sans said with a slight chuckle, tilting his head just enough to give him more space. The whole time, he didn't think of what would happen if Asgore did end up getting attacked. He wasn't thinking of all the other monsters, of how they might take weeks to recover. He wasn't worrying about things out of his control, or about what he would do when it got around to it.  
He was just thinking how good it felt to have Red there, his full, undivided attention, and thinking about how stupid happy he was for no reason but for Red being there.

With the way his... "friend" was reacting, he felt himself growing a bit more _**bold**_.  
"Heheheh, oh yeah? Ya like that?" He chuckled as he pushed his face up beneath that soft jaw to kiss at him even more, his fingers squeezing the hand lanced with his before pulling him in tighter against that bulkier body. "Mmmm, just, ah... tell me if there's somethin' ya _don't_ like, alright?" He nuzzled gently along his jaw, placing a kiss here and there before slipping up to press their teeth together. It wasn't like the one before... no, this one he pressed in deep and let it linger, his fingers squeezing a bit tighter on the other's hand and back as he wanted nothing more than to feel this other monster as close to him as possible.  
"Y'know... I never really could find anything to like about myself... but _you_... stars, I can't think of anything I _don't_ like right now." He pressed another lingering kiss on those smooth teeth before releasing their hands and slipping his arms out from beneath him. He sat up, those crimson eyelights sparkling as he looked down over his friend, taking him in with a good, long look, then took both of his hands in his own, lacing their fingers together before he pinned them above Sans' head on the bed. "Fuck, you're gorgeous."

"Yeh," Sans murmured as those kisses intensified, fingers gripping tighter as he nuzzled up. When that heavier kiss came to him, Sans hand pulled both his hands to the back of Red's skull, gazing up at him with just the most relaxed grin he ever made. "Didn't take you fer a flirt," Sans said, letting his hands slide down along those arms, watching how he sat up over him, fingers resting against the cuffs of the sweater and his wrists.  
He worked his fingers in a rubbing way to the heavier ones, before he had another gasp at having his hand moved overhead, eyes going wide a moment before a lovely blue tinge touched his cheeks, looking away at the compliment. "T-take a lookit you, Red, bein all..." his voice trailed off, mumbling the last bit fingers clenching into the ones holding his hands as he refocused up on the other. He didn't say anything for a bit, just laying there under Red, the way his eyelights glowed making the flush of his cheeks grow redder.  
"Yeh look like you got somethin else ta say, buddy..." Sans said in a teasing, almost coy tone, grinning and still keeping his attention wholly on the bulkier skeleton, "I can only guess." The smaller of the pair moved just a bit, letting himself lax against the bed, feeling completely at ease, even when held down, prone and defenseless, by a monster who had more LV than he'd ever seen anyone but the human with. But he wasn't afraid, because he trusted what Red had told him; he wasn't going to hurt him, he was going to help keep him safe, and he felt it every time those ruby eyelights looked at him. The way they looked, and the way Red spoke, all intent on keeping him from harm.  
"What's on yer mind, Red?" Sans asked in a low rumble, sockets lidded.

Sweet merciful stars, who knew he could look so damn _cute_?!  
"Heh, and what'd ya take me for? The strong, silent type? Hahaha, hate to burst _that_ bubble..." With his face still glowing with that bright red magic, he slowly started to shift his legs between the others', feeling himself tremble ever so slightly at the thought of just how far he wanted to push this. "Oh, it ain't so much about what I wanna _say_ , as what you make me wanna _do_. Layin' there blushin' like you ain't ever been told how sexy ya are before."  
Those hooded sockets had a devilishly hungry glint in them as he pressed his hips up a bit, the angle causing Sans' legs to lift with him. "Now, ah... pretty sure you were sayin' somethin' before, about me bein' all... hmmmm, what was it you was sayin'? Didn't quite catch the end of that statement." His tone had slowly evolved into a soft growl full of smoke and burning need as he leaned in closer once more, letting his teeth linger teasingly over that smooth mouth before shifting over to kiss the corner, his fingers gripping a bit more tightly as his hips shifted again and his face moved until his fangs found that neck once again. Growling and nibbling away, he let his body slowly rock back and forth as he enjoyed the simple, teasing affections he was being allowed to express and as desperately as he wanted him, he was certain he'd give Sans everything he wanted and more.

He couldn't help but chuckle as his companion joked, grinning wide and enjoying every little thing about him. His legs shifted to hug at those other bony hips, flushing hard as he did, but still giving that playful grin. Sans gave just a tiny gasp as Red's hips shifted up, legs gripping again as he was teased about what he'd muttered, that tone making him blush harder, sockets hooding shut as that scant hint of a kiss moved over his mouth. Fingers gripping as Red started on his neckbones again, he began to move into the way the larger frame rocked, breath changing into softer sounds of enjoyment. Just as he was about to murmur something to his 'friend', he felt a jolt of what could only be described as stress and the intent to summon. His body went stiff, sockets bursting open with the left flaring to smoking cyan life, gasp turning into a groan as he shivered under Red.  
"Fuck," he groaned, hooding the left shut over the flickering magic, looking up with the white one just as his phone started going off, over in his jacket on the floor, "gotta answer that," he said, voice both firm but regretting. When he could work free, Sans shifted, half-rolling to where his collarbone was just on the edge of the mattress as he rifled through his jacket and pulled out the ringing device.  
"Majesty," he answered, somehow sounding both respectful and incredulous. The caprine boss monster's voice could easily be heard, even though it tried to be soft.  
"What happened? You're not at the Hall, I came to check again..."  
"Oh, yeah, uh... well the human uh... kinda... disappeared? I waited a good while, Asgore, then um... thought I'd do some checks. Backtracked, y'know. All the puzzles were still operational, didn't see a soul," he said, shifting to just have the phone against his shoulder, "made it back ta Snowdin, didn't see anythin. Kinda needed to recoup after the trip, ya caught me in bed." Sans stretched over to grab the bottle from last night, feeling the twinges of a hangover starting to nibble at his skull.  
"Oh, I understand... um... disappeared? That's-"  
"Unusual, I know. It's why I started look'n. I'll get through Snowdin again an make my way back. You didn't call Alphys or anyone right? I didn't wanna give a false clear." The sound of the large monster giving a negative had him shrug. "Not much else ta do but lemme keep look'n, make sure it really is safe. Meant ta give ya a call but just was bone tired. Ok, I'll check back in later." Clicking the phone off, he rubbed his face with both hands, groaning softly. Stars, he really couldn't get a damn break, could he? Sans took a mouthful of alcohol before he let his head drop to stare at the floor.

The intensity melted away from his body as the spell of whatever they'd been doing was broken by Sans' words and the subsequent phone call. With a heavy sigh, Red rolled away onto his back, adjusting his shorts as he mentally fought away the magic that had begun to coalesce onto his more sensitive bones, keeping his eyes locked on the ceiling as he listened to the two talk.  
_Fuckin' Asgore._  
Images kept replaying in his mind of the wild-eyed leader back home, skewering and tearing apart an innocent child, over and over again. Breaking _him_ until he'd turned to dust on more than one occasion. He was glad this King sounded _nothing_ like his own. Hell, he even sounded... docile. Once the call was over, he finally sat back up to shift over behind his fatigued friend, letting his hands lift up and rest on the other's back to stroke along his body gently.  
"We should get some food in ya. Then we'll figure out what to do from there." He moved away to slip from the bed and grab his jacket, reaching into his pocket to grab his cigarettes and lighter, pulling out one of those sweet, smoky sticks and lighting it up. He took a nice long drag and let the smoke swirl in his mouth before offering it over to his new companion, the look in his eyes soft and full of warm affection as he looked over that tired skele, thinking of nothing but how he wanted to make him feel better.

As Red slid his hand along his spine, Sans groaned again, wanting to not think about anything. He just wanted to have stayed in bed, quietly enjoying the way the two of them seemed to harmonize and just... Sans sighed as the other mentioned food, feeling his body agreeing with the notion. Even though he knew about what all was available, and part of him just didn't know if he could face that. As Red slipped off the bed, the smoke curling around and seeming to highlight his features in a slight ember glow from the end of the cig. Taking the stick from his fingers, he drew in a deep, long 'lungful', holding it and letting it trickle out in another long breath. He looked up at those eyelights, the ones that made him just feel like everything was going to be okay. It helped.  
_What if we go back to the Hall and Red disappears? If some ripple anomaly has him taken from me and replaced with that... human._  
Sans shook his head, looking away and holding the cig in his teeth. He didn't know if he could do it. If everything went to shit, he didn't know if he'd be strong enough to keep going anymore.

A hand slid up along the side of Sans' face, turning it to face him as he smiled and took the cig from his teeth with the other and with nothing to stop him, he leaned in, pressing a long kiss to his teeth and... after a moment of hesitation letting his tongue curl out to taste the smoke... and pry for more. With a soft groan, he leaned back, grinning ear to ear before taking a drag from the cig and handing it back.  
"Hey now, I said we'd figure shit out _after_ food, didn't I? Come on, worry wort. Unfortunately, food don't usually cook itself." He reached down to take Sans by the hand to lead him up and didn't let go of it until they were downstairs. He paused in the living room and looked over at his friend, remembering how adamantly he'd looked at everything in the house _except_ the kitchen.  
"You have a seat, buddy. Let Red take care o' ya, eh?" He shot him a wink and turned to move towards the kitchen, hoping to find something he wasn't likely to set on fire.


	6. Searching for Ghosts

He followed that leading hand without hesitation, looking up to try to lose his worries in Red's eyelights again, gasping as the other leaned in to kiss him. He pressed back, just a touch, then shuddered as he was going to give in to that tongue, only for it to slide away as that face grinned down at him. Taking the cig back, he made a few indignant puffs, flushed across his cheekbones as he pushed up to be led out of the room. When Red stopped and seemingly spared him the certain breakdown of going in the kitchen, he looked over with an unspoken note of gratitude. Settling on the couch, he gave the smoke his full attention, considering it to be the only thing in existence right now, so he could try to avoid mulling over all the shit he'd started on upstairs.  
In the kitchen, Red would be faced with a few things - a pot of stone-cold water, two plates of resets-old spaghetti, and a box of dry pasta scattered on the floor. As if it had been dropped when someone had tried to make themselves the meal, and couldn't. Just like he couldn't clean up the old, likely stale spaghetti, and just like he couldn't even bring himself to turn the burner on. Everything had been attempted, but left behind. Left unfinished or untouched.

There was plenty of noise coming from the kitchen as Red cleaned up the mess without complaint, even scrubbing down the dirtied dishes and setting them out to dry. There didn't seem to be a whole lot in the way of easy food, but 'luckily' food had been pretty scarce back home, too, so figuring something out wasn't incredibly hard.  
After an hour of hard work, Red finally emerged with two steaming hot plates of pancakes, his sleeves rolled up to the elbow and quite a bit of his being covered in splotches of pancake mix.  
"Now, they ain't perfect, but I did taste one and I'm still alive, so they should do fine."  
He made sure to clutch the fork against the plate as he handed it over so nothing fell off, before taking his seat next to the over skele and relaxing into the cushions before tucking into his breakfast. As long as they'd taken to make, it was almost disappointing how quickly he'd downed them, setting the plate on the coffee table before sliding down into the cushions to get more comfortable. As his hands ran slowly over that ectoformed belly, the many scars on his arms became increasingly apparent as the powdery mix wiped off. The damage was... extensive to say the least, and put that simple crack over his socket to shame, most of them looking to be years old and more than one showing signs of being messily broken and set... multiple times. With a heavy sigh, he looked down at his full belly and once he realize dhow much of his arms was showing, quickly rolled the sleeves back down and crossed his arms over his chest.  
"S-so, uh... where should we start this, ah... sweep for the human?"

Sans had actually let himself get caught up in the mindless cycle of smoking, every move almost dramatically slow and measured as he finished off that stick. By the time it was down to nothing, it was lucky Red showed back up, because with a loss of what to do to distract himself, the smaller skele would have started mulling. Which would have ruined all the calming effect the time with the cig had imparted. He offered his companion a soft grin, looking up at his work as he took the plate. He ate slower than the other had, not because the pancakes were bad, but just at this point he was having to force himself to eat despite how hungry he actually was. For the moment, he focused on getting as much into himself as he could without feeling ill. He didn't notice the marring on his friend's arms, too preoccupied with the food, and by the time he would look over, those sleeves covered him again, and he was asking about where they should start. Sans couldn't handle another bite once Red brought it up, and put the plate aside as he cleared his throat.  
"Well, uh... guess make our way over to the Ruins an... go from there. Ain't much in Snowdin they could hide in, the houses were checked before everyone left..." he felt himself getting anxious, moving his hand to grip at Red's leg. A steadying presence, looking down at the floor as he continued. "C-can do a check an go back a different way than we came las' night... head back up to the Capitol."

The hand at his leg was gripped tightly in his own before pulling it up to brush his sharp teeth against those knuckles once more, letting his crimson gaze linger on that anxious face. "Yeah. And ya won't be checkin' it alone." He pulled at Sans' hand and wrapped his other arm around him, hugging that smooth skull to his chest and giving him a squeeze. "But I ain't in any hurry and ya don't look like _you_ are either. The kid's gone. The Underground's safe. _You're_ safe." He leaned down and pressed another kiss to Sans' head, then leaned back and let out a soft chuckle.  
"Shit. Looks like my mess is spreadin'." He wiped away a bit of that pancake mix from his friend's flawless face and smirked.  
"Think I might need to take a shower first. You're, uh..." That scarred face was beginning to shift into something more shy as his cheeks tinted red. "You're welcome to join me, y'know, so you're not alone down here. Heh, I'll even give you a nice scrub down if you want." That face shifted once again as he started getting flirty, his smile curling into that charming grin as he leaned in and nuzzled a kiss against a soft cheek.

He took several breaths, the other skeleton's assurances helping keep him from going off on a spiraling mental tangent, hooding his sockets shut as that kiss was pressed to his skull. He made a small, shy grin at that chuckle he was growing to crave, and when Red offered, he knew his own cheekbones were flushed bright blue to go with the way the other's was dusted in crimson. Turning, he pressed another kiss into those sharp teeth, fingers curling to hold his scarred hand in both of his own, looking down a moment before meeting eyelights again.  
"I'd like that," he said, feeling a bit too shy to elaborate quite yet. But both seemed to know each other's intent, even without saying it... upstairs had been something he knew he'd want again, to feel Red against him, holding him and making him forget everything else. Sans flushed darker as he remembered how it warmed him, and the skele gave a light chuckle. "Yeah... let's head up, buddy."

Slowly, he pushed himself up off the couch, getting in a nice stretch before turning to pull Sans up into him with one hand while the other slipped behind his back to hold him close. His bright crimson lights sparkled with a bit of mischief as he leaned in, pressing another of those warm kisses to his doppelganger's smooth teeth, grinning as he licked teasingly at them before releasing him and turning, taking Sans' hand in his own to lead him up towards the bathroom.  
"Holy shit. Your bathroom looks like it might actually be able to _clean_ someone." He snorted as he moved over to the tub, releasing that hand and reaching in to get the water started. "Alright, so, uh... I-I should.. probably go ahead and warn ya _before_ ya see it, but... um... w-well, the rest o' me ain't as pretty as my face. Which is sayin' somethin'." He turned on the showerhead and reached up to touch the crack that ran from his right socket to the back of his skull, then let out a soft sigh as he glanced over to the other then down to the floor, not wanting to keep his gaze as he stripped that dirtied sweater off.  
As bad as his arms had been, the rest of him was _far_ worse. Several ribs were completely missing while the rest looked like they'd been broken and reset as messily as his arms. His spine had been cracked and scratched in several different places and when he very hesitantly slid his shorts off, it looked like someone had gouged out parts of his iliac crests with blades. His legs, however, seemed almost unscathed aside from some minor scratches that looked like they'd come from falling during a run more than anything. He looked almost shy as he peered over at Sans, watching him for a moment before disappearing behind the curtain to get into the shower.

As Red made that reluctant comment, the smaller of the pair was curious, gaze going up to where those phalanges traced along the crack in his skull. His eyelights went to pinpricks as he saw the extent on the raw damage that had been done to him, the scarring far more extensive than he'd imagined from what he'd seen on hands and skull. The badly healed and missing bones, the cracks and chips. When Red looked back at him, his lights were drawn to the red ones, his soul aching at the very thought of what had happened to him. When he seemed to retreat, Sans made a soft noise of distress, but tugged his clothing away, leaving his unmarred bone showing... he felt more conscious of it now that he had seen his friend. Moving into the shower, he went over and put his hands up against the larger monster's scapula.  
"Red," he murmured gently, his fingers curling into the scraped bone, finding one ridge of an old wound and hooding his sockets. He wanted to reassure him... just like he reassured him as well. He didn't know what to say, leaning his brow down into that scarred spine. Sans could see all the pain he had endured... and his fingers began following the trails of the injuries, not flinching away from any of them. Seeing how his double had survived far more than he ever could, somehow reassured him the most.  
"There's no hurry," he said after a long pause, when he felt the ragged edge of where a rib was missing, hoping it didn't hurt him to have it touched, his voice falling in quiet shyness  
"...you're amazing, Red."

There was the distinct sound of a sharply inhaled breath as he was touched and he held it until he heard those last words. He let out something that lingered between a laugh and a sob before he leaned back into the touches and peered over his shoulder.  
"Nah... just got a high tolerance for pain." He felt a tingle run up his spine as Sans ran his finger over a more sensitive spot on that broken rib, a soft growl rumbling in his chest and his sockets falling shut as the let that warm pain radiate through him for a few long moments before finally pulling away and turning to face the other skeleton. As shy as he'd been to expose his own body, he was far less so in examining his friend's, letting those bright eyes trace up and down over that smooth body before he reached out and let his fingers gently curl around the back of his iliac crests to pull him closer.  
"Have I mentioned before that you're fuckin' gorgeous? Pretty sure I did, but uh... yeah, it bears some repeatin'." His entire face lit up with that grin as he brought a hand up to cup that flawless cheek in his hand before leaning down to kiss him. That growl returned as he pressed the entirety of his bulkier figure against him, the hand at his hip slowly slipping closer to his tail bone as that crimson magic slipped from his mouth to beg entrance... and this time he was going to let it linger until he'd completely memorized the taste of that foreign blue magic.

Sans didn't stop touching until the other had turned, his gaze going up with that blue tinge lingering as his naked form was taken in, gasping as he was pulled in closer. He met his gaze, taking in the way those bright rubies accentuated his sharper grin. The compliment had a soft noise escape him, shivering in all his attentions. Having Red against him again, feeling the way those roughed bones rubbed against his own, making him shake harder until he was captured by that mouth. Sans' sockets hooded shut as he opened for him, blue tongue meeting the red one in a ripple of growing violet. Arms going up to wrap his arms around Red's skull, pulling him in more as their shared breaths, a low whimper sounding as that scarred hand was at his tailbone. He didn't want to lose the spicy taste of the other's tongue, but he pulled back to look up at him, still panting again his jaw.  
"Do you think you're not?" he murmured, looking up as if he needed more of that mouth, more of those touches, more of him. His hands slid to pull his face into another light kiss, unwilling to keep apart too long, but needing to whisper to his friend. "I think you are. And... you steady me, Red... I need... I need you." His mouth accepted Red's again, gasping into his flavor and leaning harder into the larger frame.

Those sanguine lights were hazy when Sans pulled back to speak, his tongue still hanging from his mouth as he started processing the words and at being told how much he was needed... a soft whimper filled the other's mouth before he took another breath, the next sound coming out in a possessive growl that was followed with a flurry of movement. His hands slid those delicate-looking femurs around his waist in the same movement he was pushing back until Sans was pinned against the back of the shower, held up by that bulky body. Every word from his mouth was filled with lust and smoke as that deep, rumbling growl continued.  
"Say it again. Haaah, fuck, Sansy, I ain't ever heard more beautiful sounds in my life. Tell me again, baby." His hands went to work touch every last inch of that beautiful little skeleton, while his mouth eagerly explored the smoothness of his shoulders and clavicle, trying to do everything he could to focus away from that burning need that was threatening to form between his legs, the ripple of magical energy coursing through his body already feeling like too much.

The growl had him pull in a surprised gasp before he found himself up against the wall, braced against Red's front. The way he spoke had the other shivering in want, intent on feeling more of that monster against him. "I need you, Red... I need you," he said, voice nigh-desperate as the larger had him writhing under his attentions. Leaning into the nibbling, he began to pant, everything forgotten except the moments between them, pressing a panting kiss against the side of Red's skull.  
"You're so amazing, buddy," Sans groaned, hips starting to shift into the ones down against him, legs gripping and echoing the ripple of Red's magic, "fuck... fucking hell Red... I need you."

"You got me, Sansy. I'm right here... and I ain't goin' nowhere." He let his hands grip tight against that smooth, strong pelvic bone as he brought their mouths together once more, growling into the kiss as his tongue pressed in for another taste. He couldn't get enough of the smaller skele, feeling more alive with every stroke of bone and the feel of their magic mingling together inside their mouths. His thumbs pressed hard against the inside of his iliac crests, gliding against the flat bit of bone while the rest of his fingers slid along the edges, his own heavily scarred bits finally forming the aching magic that had been begging to touch the other skele for so long. A thick shaft of deep, crimson red pressed beneath his _friend_ as their hips rolled into each other, a shiver running down his spine as he felt that delicate tailbone graze against the sensitive head.  
"You got whatcha need right here." His breathy whisper spoke of everything he was thinking of, every dirty little thought that was filling his skull as he cracked his sockets open to watch that flushed blue face as if it were the only thing keeping him alive right now. "Now... tell me what you _want_ , baby."

"Haah... haaahh, Red," he groaned, his body arching into the rough hands as he moved himself harder into the touches, just wanting more of the other's attentions. His breath gasped in sharply as he felt the tantalizing ripple of magic against his tailbone, hips sliding up in a slow curl to feel more of him. "Red..." Sans pulled him into another kiss, desperate to taste him more as he curled his tongue with the crimson one, taking him in as his legs tried to bring those heavier hips in closer, feeling that shaft grinding against him. Panting against that mouth, he groaned with want as he slid his fingers down those ribs, trying to find a grip, somewhere to anchor himself as he drifted in the shower-washed heat of the other monster holding him.  
"I want you, Red," he murmured, moving to feel more of that warm cock against his bones, breath shuddering out in needing gasps, "Red fucking... please..." he groaned, shuddering as he rubbed himself against that magic, pressing hard into the scarred monster with a hungry grin, "c'mon... I can handle it, babe..."

A whine caught in his throat as the other skeleton pleaded for him, making that cock twitch hard as he rubbed it against all those sensitive bones. "F-fuck, Sansy. Y-ya really think... you can handle this?" He gave a heavy thrust up against the wet bone of his sacrum, his entire body trembling in need. "Stars, I wanna make you feel _so_ good, baby. I wanna make it so nothin' exists but me and you, right now in this moment." He returned that starving grin, pressing their brows together as he watched him through hazing eyelights. The tingle that ran up and down his spine intensified as he felt more of that ectobody beginning to form and just as he pulled back to thrust up again, he felt a harsh shock against his neck, the small circles of metal embedded in the bone burning him mercilessly as as he tried to fight past it... but it was a futile fight.  
_**'You're mine. Mind, body, and soul. No one is to touch what's mine.'**_  
His face scrunched in pain as his grip loosened and that thick magic finally dispersed into nothingness. " _Fuck_!" He punched the wall hard beside Sans' head, the heavy sting in his knuckles bringing him back to the present. His sockets cracked open and looked up to that unmarred face, his gaze full of pain and regret. "I..." He clenched his sockets shut once again and set Sans down to his feet before turning to leave the shower in a hurry, grabbing a towel to scrub himself dry as he headed for the bedroom and plopped down onto the mattress, his hands pressing the towel hard into his sockets as he tried to fight his frustration.  
_This is some fuckin' **bullshit**!!_

"Yeh," he groaned, reveling in the way it moved against him, giving a sharp, encouraging gasp at that first thrust, eyelights wavering in adoring lust as he gazed down at Red's grin, shuddering and grinding into that forming ectobody. He was about to murmur more husky purrs when he saw the pained grimace.  
He gasped and locked up when he heard the crack of tile, shocked pinpricks gazing down at the other, the question choked in his throat as Red looked up at him. He wanted to apologize and comfort and hold him, still braced against the wall even as he was released. Still frozen in place as his friend retreated, and heard him leave the room. Sans choked out a low noise, somewhere between sob and whimper, rubbing his face as he slid down to settle in the tub. He didn't know what to do... didn't know what had caused so much agony in his doppelganger. He took a moment to try to compose himself, even though he was shuddering and feeling as if he'd failed already. Turning the shower off, Sans pulled another towel free, surprised there was a full stack of them clean in the cabinet. He rubbed his humeri with a soft whine, moving over to the bedroom, seeing the other seated there, looking as miserable as could be.  
"Hey," he said in a low voice, lingering in the doorway, then moving over to sit beside him, his voice still quiet, "Red... what's wrong?" Sans' voice shook, unsure if he should even touch his companion. Even though he wanted to, so much. To hold his hand and feel grounded again, so that he could actually do any good aside form be a nervous, overthinking wreak.

When he felt the mattress shift beneath him, he slid the towel down and peered over at Sans, looking every bit as tired as he felt. "S-...sorry about that. I, uh... I-I guess the whole... magic not workin' thing is worse than I thought..."  
He at least had the decency to look to the floor as he lied. He couldn't tell Sans. Maybe one day, but certainly not now. Not while the pain of losing his brother was still fresh.  
"Sorry for freakin' out in there. A, uh... bit of an over-reaction, for sure. Just... hate feelin' like a failure. _Especially_ when I got someone like you on me, lookin' and soundin' like ya do." His gaze was back up on Sans' face, his playful smirk tinged with a bit of sadness, but he wasn't going to let his own issues get in the way of making his precious new companion happy. He leaned over to cup that nervous-looking face with one hand while the other found his friend's and laced their fingers together, gripping him tightly as he pressed a gentle kiss to that sweet mouth.  
"Maybe I just gotta take some time. I mean, after all... my tongue still seems to be workin' fine." That smile got increasingly devious as he pressed into another kiss, this time teasing at him with the soft crimson magic before leaning down to run it along the side of his neck. "Mmmm, just wish I could give you more, baby."

Something told Sans his friend wasn't being entirely honest with him, but perhaps he didn't know too well either. His fingers tightened into Red's grip as he kissed him, leaning their brows together the slip of the tongue having him chuckle before a little shivering groan had him wanting to just keep put. But even as that mouth was working at the side of his neck, nagging thoughts reminded him he had work to do, and he sighed as he closed his sockets.  
"Damn, Red..." he murmured, turning to tip a kiss against the side of his skull, hands folding around the scarred one, "you're not a failure. Couldn't know what a different universe would do to ya." Even if he wasn't entirely convinced on it, but... well he didn't know either. Sans lifted his hand up to give those knuckles a kiss, just like he'd been doing for him. "Maybe got somethin ya can fit inta while we do that check. Then find us a spot fer the night," he leaned in to nuzzle another kiss to the corner of that shark-toothed mouth, "I think we can have a good bit of time ta recoup b'fore the King gets his report." His voice shifted, wavering, unsure... concerned of all the questions and issues starting to flood into his mind. His breath came out in a slow shiver as he ran his smooth fingers along that marred bone of his arm. "Stars, you're done so much for me already."

"Heh, I ain't done nothin' yet, sweetheart." Those sweet kisses had him blushing gently as he watched that sweet skeleton, turning his face to catch a better kiss before playfully snapping his sharp teeth against the other's with a grin. "But just imagine. No more resets. No more fuckin' time anomalies. No more worryin' about losin' people we care about." He was slowly crawling over the other skeleton, pushing him back on the bed more and more with every word until he was on top of him again, smiling down with the utmost affection. "I feel like I got all the time in the world for ya." He leaned down and pressed their teeth together in a tender kiss, enjoying the tingle that ran through his body while trying to ignore the stabbing pain in his neck. Eventually it was just too much and he rolled off the other skeleton to look around the room before beginning to nose around in his dresser and eventually his closet, grinning when he pulled out a baggy pair of sweats.  
"Hm... you know, when I had the intent on gettin' in your pants, this ain't exactly what I had in mind." He shot Sans a shit-eating grin and a playful wink before he slipped them on, groaning a bit at just how well they fit before he went on the hunt for a shirt.


	7. Audience with a King

The smaller was glad for the distraction, laying back as the other guided him down against the mattress, hands splaying against those cheekbones as he shivered at the way he spoke. The promising way he talked to him, voice made of smoke and playful intent, encompassingly affectionate. The way Red said it, Sans could already believe it was true. Could latch on to that hope of it being really done with, even as it hurt to know everything that came with it. That they'd lost so much already, that a reset could fix... but a reset meant the human, and that meant he had no way of knowing which way things would go until it was already too late.  
_Better to scrape up what little is left here than risk losing more the next time..._  
Sans tried to reassure himself while that comforting presence was absent. He caught the joke and snorted, hand covering his face in a low strain of chuckles, laying there as if everything would be okay. Turning his head, watching the other skeleton, he felt, maybe it could be okay. He hoisted himself into sitting up, towel draped over his lower half as he rubbed his sockets with a low groan. He didn't want to go out looking for something that wasn't there, because part of him had the worry that if it - _was_ \- there, and they found it... things would go to shit. Sans knew he couldn't handle it. He felt himself thinking too long again, blinking before finding where Red was - having found a longsleeve tshirt, rather than a sweater. Sans felt his own hands itching to rub the hidden scars, to soothe and caress. The scars didn't bother him so much as how Red seemed inclined to hide them.... that he worried over his appearance.  
Looking down, his fingers traced where the knife had been in his ribs, and he could swear he felt a bit of roughness, just up in the join of rib and sternum. Where it had cut him before.

He looked down over himself dressed in clean clothes that weren't full of stains and holes and... it felt nice. He adjusted the cuffs of the shirt to make sure they covered the majority of his scarring before finally turning to look at the other, letting his gaze wander over that still naked form.  
"Mmmph, you're makin' it _real hard_ to find the inspiration to go outside, y'know?" He walked over with that wonderfully teasing look in his eyes, doing nothing to hide the fact he was absolutely devouring him in his mind. He reached down when he got to the bed and whipped the towel off and tossed it behind himself before falling to his knees, a purring growl rumbling in his chest as he rested his hands on those porcelain-esque femurs and ran his rough hand sup and down in appreciation.  
"Fuck, baby. I just wanna touch every last inch of ya." He squeezed against those bones as he looked up at the other, his red tongue sliding across the sharp fangs and lingering on that gold tooth before he turned and pressed a kiss against the inside of his thigh. He let out a hungry groan and slowly began to work his way up, his entire body tingling with desire and aching from being unable to drown out that voice in his head. "Stars, Sansy... I could spend the rest o' my life worshipin' this body, y'know."

Everything making noise in his head was silenced by the other monster, the way he looked at him making Sans groan in want. The feel of Red's hands along him had the skele shivering in all the right ways, hazy white lights following his predatory movements. He didn't want t go outside either, he wanted to stay right here and have that scarred skeleton taking everything he wanted out of his body, gasping out a scant little moan as those teeth kissed up from his femur. Sans grabbed his face and pushed into a near-desperate kiss, tongue laving across fangs as he tried to get more of the other, tried to drown himself in nothing but the way Red felt and tasted. He knew he needed to get up, to leave the house and do what he said he would... but stars, another minute.  
"Please," he begged against that mouth, wanting just another moment, another small bit of reprieve. He'd done so much, couldn't he just rest more? Couldn't he be more selfish for just a handful of time? His breath shuddered against Red's teeth as he looked up, and steeled himself to have to walk across the damn Underground looking for something he didn't ever want to find.  
"There better be a damn good room untouched in the fuck'n hotel," Sans scoffed as he slid reluctantly away from the larger frame, snatching up the first clothing that came to hand and tugging them on. When he turned back, to get his blue jackets, part of his soul quailed, remembering the red scarf coiled in the pocket, and he pinched his sockets shut to keep from breaking into a sob. Paps was gone, he couldn't do anything to get him back, and even if he could... it might make Red disappear. Somehow, down to the core of his being, he knew he needed him. That he'd never stop needing him, because Red offered something fundamental to his own balance. He picked up the jacket and pulled it on, hugging the well-worn, comfy old fabric in snug.  
"Guess we get started," he mumbled, not yet putting his hands in his pockets. Not yet able to feel he could find what little solace that scrap of red offered.

Red let out a huff as the other skeleton got away, letting his own body flop onto the mattress as Sans got dressed so he could let his body calm down enough to think straight again.  
_Heh. Ain't nothin' straight about this situation._  
He grinned at his own stupid joke before finally hoisting himself back up to his feet, his hand reaching up to touch the... he looked down, remembering he'd taken the scarf off in the bathroom and with the thought of being seen out and about by others...  
He moved to the bathroom as he listened to his companion, smirking a bit as he grabbed up that dirty piece of fabric, running his fingers over it for a few long moments before winding it back around his neck and the lower half of his face. He came back in the room with his old clothes and tossed them on what he assumed was a dirty pile of clothes in the corner, then grabbed up his jacket and slipped it on.  
"Oh man, this universe has a hotel just for fuckin'?" He looked over at Sans with a twinkle in his eye before he started chuckling and moving closer to the other and slowly pushing him back against a wall to pin him there, feeling like he was so much taller than the other as he rested his arms on either side. "Maybe my magic'll be back to _fuckin'_ cooperatin' by the time we get there, eh? Then I'll be able to _really_ take care o' ya, Sansy." He leaned in with that huge grin and pressed a kiss to his cheek before turning to head out of the room and down the stairs, ready to get his shoes on and get this wild goose chase over with so there wouldn't be anymore interruptions.

When Red came back with that scarf on, he had to look away, a stinging ache starting around the edges of his soul, and the joke kind of missed the mark while he was getting lost in his head. But having the other move him to the wall, had him feeling cleared up again, gazing to the bright red eyelights that went so well with that sharp smirk, shivering under that light kiss. He stood, still pressed to the wall, for a few breaths, before following his friend down. His own slippers were easy, just shoving his feet into them and wait until Red got up, his hand going to find one of the rough ones instead of going into a pocket.  
"Heh, well we had all the booze las' night... maybe get another stroke'a luck an there'll be a good room with summore bottles fer us... and a nice bed ta mess up," he flushed as he spoke, but his lecherous grin had widened, and he looked up at his companion with an eager gleam in his eyelights.  
The snow crunched underfoot, and he felt like it'd somehow gone colder since the day before, even though the day was clear and even kinda bright for the time of year. Sans started down towards the Ruins, intent on trying to at least get it over with as quick as possible, though with his pace, it'd be well into evening before they made New Home. So he pushed a bit more, and when they made it to the Ruins... he felt a heavy emptiness in the pit of his nonexistent stomach at the sight of the cracked door and lack of magic barrier. He moved in, running his hand along the old stone and wood he used to rap his knuckles against and share jokes with the old Queen... he'd never even asked her name, unable to even recall it from monster history right now.  
"Nothin," he said, voice full of unspoken regrets.

The bright day had Red lighting up and looking in every direction as they walked along, feeling a hell of a lot less morose than his lookalike. Back home it had been nothing but dark dreariness that matched everyone's mood and the deafening silence felt so much less oppressive than when he'd been walking along just waiting for the tell-tale scream of another monster who'd made a bad decision. He looked over at Sans with that excited expression, but one look at that crestfallen face and his own died down a bit. He gave that smooth hand a tight squeeze as he remained quiet for their trip to the door, his own memories of that crazy broad with her sick sense of humor had him smiling softly in nostalgia, but he was quick to squash it down in favor of comforting his friend, letting him linger on his memories for only a minute before he pulled him into a hug.  
"Yeah. So far, so good. No lil' human murderin' machine." He pressed a kiss to Sans' brow and turned the both of them away from the door, keeping his arm wrapped tight around the other's shoulders as they started walking back the way they came. "Back home, I'd, uh... come to that door during my breaks. Make stupid jokes with the chick on the other side. She was fuckin' hilarious. I'd tell her about all the shit goin' on down here and... one day she tells me a human fell down. I sat there waitin' for the punchline... but it never came." He gave a heavy sigh and felt his steps slow just a bit as he started remembering the details. "She told me they were good... that they didn't deserve to die. Told me to... watch out for 'em. Keep 'em safe, y'know? I told her... I couldn't make any promises, but... I'd try. An' I did. Heh. Maybe your murder child ended up over there and wiped everyone out. Honestly... it'd probably be for the best. Everyone down there... was like a buncha rabid animals needin' ta be put down. Ya couldn't... couldn't trust _nobody_."  
He went quiet for a good long while as they started walking through town again, his gaze miles away as he thought back to those times.  
"I... ya got... ya got no idea how good it feels... bein' able to _breathe_... bein'...bein' able to... t-touch someone... without worryin' if he's gonna flip out and try to dust me..." His free hand reached up and gripped at the scarf tightly as his gaze remained unfocused, his whole body trembling slightly until he finally turned to look over at Sans. And it was like the world was alright again, just like that. He leaned in and pressed a kiss to his cheek, letting his face linger nearby as they walked, listening to the crunching snow beneath their feet. "You got no idea... how bad I _needed_ you, Sansy. I ain't ever been able to feel so relaxed and happy with someone until now. I really... really think I might, uh..." His gaze lingered on Sans' face before his entire face lit up in that bright crimson red.  
_I really think I might be fallin' for ya._  
He quickly looked away to try and hide that bright blush of embarrassment, the hand at his scarf tugging it up to try and hide more of his face while the other arm slid down to his waist, hugging him closer as they moved along.

Sans was glad to let him lead him away from the door, happy to listen to the other's voice as he talked. Even with the dreary, frightening picture it painted... it was better than letting things accumulate in his own head until he was paralyzed in his own thoughts. He didn't mentioned that it was the Queen he'd joked with, didn't feel jealous that the child had been innocent and good. He felt like, somehow, it was best that he didn't start drawing all the comparison between this and that fell world. Though even then he didn't agree with Red that they would deserve death at the human's hands. Somehow he didn't think, even with how bad it sounded, that even then, monsters deserved better. Humans had caused their plight, had driven them underground after decimating their numbers.  
He was drawn from his wandering thoughts when Red spoke back up, shifting his gaze to see how he stared away into nothingness, and it hurt. It hurt knowing that he'd lived like that for so long. Sans looked down again as he touched that scarf, his hand content to be occupied in Red's grip, rather than going to that fidget-comfort of the one much like it in his pocket. When he met that gaze, seeing how he looked alive again, Sans turned into the kiss, making it last a couple steps before he heard his voice again.  
"I think... I think I might know how bad, Red. I feel like that too..." When he heard the other voice trail off, he lit up right alongside him, snugged in closer to Red's side with a soft chuckle.  
"Heh... still nothing," he said once they reached the edge of Waterfall, the snow giving way to the slightly rocky marshland. His hands shifted, the one that had been in his pocket going to the one at his waist as he wrapped the scarf around his other hand's fingers. He hooded his sockets, recalling how often Papyrus would make trips out to visit Undyne, the two friends enjoying making 'meals' together. e almost tripped on a tangle of grass, pulling himself into Red more to steady physically for once.  
"Stars... it's so quiet," Sans whispered, realizing that not even the hum of insects or the occasional Temmie came up. Even the water seemed to have stopped making much sound, the drips scarce and the ripple of moving water almost muffled. Their footfalls seemed to boom out, and he shook in trepidation as he skimmed his gaze over the area. "Fuck..."

"It's... beautiful." He peered around the area as they walked through, feeling like he was seeing it for the first time. It felt so much brighter, so much more alive, even in the dead silence. The bright blue flowers, the glittering crystals, it felt...well, magical. His own version of Waterfall had been like the rest of the Underground, so sad and dreary it was heartbreaking to see what it _could_ have been. Those bright red light were sparkling with wonder when he looked back over at the skeleton in his arm, squeezing that shaking body into his as he leaned over to press his face into the other's neck, kissing and nibbling in an openly distracting manner.  
"It ain't got nothin' on you, though. You got eyes like the stars and a body that's got me dyin' o' thirst." With a soft chuckle, he leaned up and kissed at his jaw before finally standing straight once again, his hand hunting for the one that had hidden away in his pocket, tugging it out and squeezing it.  
"You know, once everybody's back to gettin' their life together... they're gonna notice me. Even without lookin' like I got in a fight with a blender, the whole lookin' an awful lot like you thing is gonna raise some brows. Got any good stories for this? All I got is like, a million puns revolving around the phrase 'go fuck yerself'."

"Well, uh..." Sans started, not having any idea where to take the thought. Funnily enough, everything he was now coming up with was in the same vein. "Heh, I dunno, man. Right now I'm trying my damnedest to just not think... we'll figure somethin eventually, though. Maybe Alphys'll get some idea, if-" he cut the thought short, focusing instead on the steadying grip of the other's hand. It felt like forever that he tried to just think without getting lost in thought, watching the surroundings and seeing nothing. Finding nothing but empty caverns and lonely waters.  
"It's like this whole place is dead," Sans whispered as they were nearing the far edge, the heat of the lava starting to make the greenery grow wilder here, "like all the soul's been pulled out and left to rot..." Sans hated that he couldn't find any joy in the beauty of the place, not right now. Not when he was used to it echoing with the sounds of footfalls, voices, and laughter. Now it really seemed like a shell, and even the water was murky to his mind.  
"S-sorry, Red," he stammered as they approached the dry ground of Hotland, his eyelights looking down at the place. At least this would go faster, since there weren't twists and turns and tangles to look around at, "I'm... bein kinda dreary. I bet this place has ya all kinda glad ta see it... jus... right now everythin is... hollow." The quiet seemed to weigh the most on him, looking around. Hotland's lava flows looked like they were taking on a film-like crust, slow and cooling and making it gloomier in the area. Sans looked over and focused his attentions on Red, hand squeezing as he choked back a pained noise.  
"It's all so wrong, it's supposed to be... more alive." He wished he could just say fuck this and go hide in a room. To go let Red chase every other thought but him away, cover him in the illusion of serenity, to just retreat. He was so very tired of this.

Sans was speaking a language he was completely fluent in, but given the circumstances, he couldn't help but smile. He remained silent as he let his friend get all fot hose dark thoughts off his chest before finally turning that softer grin over to him.  
"Nah, it ain't dead. Just... sleepin'. Once we get everyone outta hidin' it'll be like tryin' ta wake up at the asscrack o' dawn, slow and groggy, but slowly movin'. Give it time, Sansy and I'm sure this place'll wake back up. Just gotta give it a few more minutes. Heh, if my brother were here he'd probably try forcin' the whole place outta bed. Threaten it back to its livelier state. Knowin' him, he could probably fuckin' do it, too." He chuckled at the thought, but the sigh that followed with twinged with a heavy sadness that he didn't think he'd ever be able to shake. Part of him missed the angry, violent bastard, but the rest of him knew that what he had at his side right now was so much better. He gave that other hand a good squeeze as he looked around the lava-filled area with a bit more recognition in his gaze.  
"Heh. Y'know, for some reason this area don't seem that different from back home. I mean, I'm sure it will once there's actually people around, but... I always forget how fuckin' hot it is around here. You know how hard it is to sell hot dogs to a buncha sweaty, pissed off monsters?" He put a bit more pep in his step as they walked along, wanting to get through that sweltering heat as quickly as possible.

The comparison had Sans giving a smile, genuine smile, chuckling under his breath while they hurried along through Hotland. The further they got, the more it seemed real. The less it seemed like Red was going to poof and be gone. Then he got his mind back to what Red had mentioned about his brother, and the way he'd looked after. He said it'd been a long time since he'd lost his Paps, but...  
"Hey Red.... if the kid was good... what..." he choked on the thought, feeling entirely too impersonal, suddenly just up and asking what had happened to him. He said his world was rough and dangerous. How he looked was testament enough to that... but to even bring it up... he turned and looked away, his voice giving a soft apology as they were reaching the metal additions to the place, getting to the edges of New Home. To the last leg of the day's work, with the light of 'day' starting to slowly wane while they went along. It hadn't been as obvious while they were in Hotland, with the lava setting off a constant bright glow, but now he could tell the day was coming to an end, and when they reached the Hall, he'd be facing Asgore.  
Telling him everything looked clear, and that the human was gone. That it was finalize all the loss and deaths, would put a stopping place on the tragedy that had come to call. And that he could have prevented if he'd just- "Red, keep talk'n," Sans said, voice strained and pleading, feeling himself drifting away in thoughts too much, "I'm losin' it, buddy."

The trailed off question had him lifting his brows curiously, but when he let the inquiry die away, he decided to let it go. He could try again when he was ready. That quickened pace slowed once they were finally out of that overbearing heat and he took a deep breath of the cooler air, letting himself relax a bit more until he heard the alarmed tone of the skeleton beside him.  
"Hey, Sansy, I'm right here." He stopped and turned to pull that smaller figure into his own, wrapping his arms around him to hold him close and let those comforting hands slide up and down his back. "Just stay with me, alright? It's all over. I'm still here if anything happens, but we haven't seen a trace of the kid all over the Underground. Everyone's gonna be alright now. Things're gonna be different, but hell... you've seen what I've survived. It's gonna be real depressin' for a while, but eventually everyone's gonna start healin' and things'll start pickin' up again." Those comforting hands slid up to cup that soft face, making him look up into his bright gaze as he grinned. "And I'm gonna be right here. With you. Right where I'm supposed to be." He pressed into a lingering kiss, sliding his hands back until his arms were wrapping around the other's skull and hiding him from the light of the fading day, holding him there until he was ready to continue on.

Everything about Red, his touch, his voice, how he looked at him, even the way he could just barely catch his scent, up this close, all of it acted together in a soothing balm that helped Sans forget everything else right now. That helped calm his nerves and frustrations to the point of peace, hands gripping the back of his jacket sleeves as he held himself in close to his doppelganger. If he had tears left right now, he knew he'd be soaking that longsleeve shirt and leather. He felt so lost when he thought too much, when he let himself wander his mental avenues and try to make sense of anything. He didn't fight the hands nudging his face up, eyelights fuzzy with the want to cry, but stars the way Red gazed down at him really made it all better. At least in this very moment. He let himself linger in Red's embrace, taking in deep breaths of his scent, the leather and sweat from their walk, the scent of cigarette smoke clinging to his jacket.  
"Alright," he murmured, not sure how long they'd stood there, but it was getting dark for real now, the few emergency lightposts left operational guiding their way up the streets of the Capitol. Sans didn't speak as they continued up to the Hall, looking at the huge doors, feeling the King's nervous energy mingling into his own. He didn't know how he'd explain Red, and the King likely would want an answer...  
"Maybe ya came out the Ruins," he offered lamely, fingers barely curling around the ornate handle of the main Hall door, "no-one's been there in decades... maybe over a century or two... might believe that."

Those thick, leather-clad arms wrapped around Sans' body from behind, hugging him close to his front as he stared up at the doors. "It's the same back home. Nobody can get in and the only one to come out..." He let out a huffing sigh and released him from the embrace, his hands moving to his shoulders instead to rub them reassuringly. "Heh, we can just tell him I came out after the kid. Caught up to 'em in the Judgement Hall and fuckin' blasted 'em while you were out cold. It'd explain your story about them disappearin', eh?" His gaze went back to the door as he looked on in thought, his hands still squeezing gently against those bony shoulders. "Heh. It always feels weird playin' the hero... but hell. If it helps everyone sleep at night..."  
He pulled Sans gently away from the door, leaning over his shoulder to press another kiss to his cheek before finally letting him go and shoving his hands into his pockets, letting him lead the way in to meet the king. There was a slight creak as he clenched his fists tightly inside his jacket.  
_It's fine... this ain't the same asshole as the one back home._

The comforting presence shrouded him again, and Sans took his time, pulling in low, slow breaths as the deeper, smoky voice calmed his erratic thoughts. Shaking his head at the comment, he chuckled.  
"Nah, figured we could say ya came out earlier today when I called into the open door." He moved into Red's guiding hands, keeping in snug against him for that kiss, then trying to hold on to everything the other had lent him. The steadying balance he offered. He didn't hear the creak of Red's fists over the sound of the huge door opening, and they walked through to the Judgement Hall with only their footsteps echoing. He looked around at the flawless beauty, the glittering crystal and colored glass... everything was pristine. His hand went up to the spot in his ribs where he could still sometimes feel the edge of the blade, fingertips rubbing into the fabric of his shirt before he swallowed and invisible lump in his throat, turning to keep going the rest of the way through.  
They found the King tending to his golden flowers, bowed over and watering a patch of them that seemed particularly happy for the attention. The pretty yellow petals glittered with drops of water, and Sans didn't want to interrupt. It looked peaceful and quiet here, until he noticed the way Asgore's face was drawn, his mouth tight and brow wrinkled in worry. He could feel how anxious the King was, and he put a fist to his mouth as he cleared his throat. Asgore gasped, startled as he almost dropped the watering can, turning to look at the skeleton with bright eyes. Eyes that had been slowly shedding silent tears.  
"O-oh... I'm sorry, I... I should have better-" Asgore started, large hands fumbling with the can, only for Sans to interrupt.  
"Didn't find nothin," he said, his voice barely shaking, but pressing his surety, "whole place is empty. Dead quiet." Sans knew how to pick his words, at least for them to impact Asgore properly, to get his point across without elaborating. He glanced over at Red just as the caprine boss monster did. "He came outta the Ruins this mornin', said it was empty there too."

Those rough fingers dug hard into the fabric of his jacket as he saw the back of that huge figure, his anxiety spiking and causing him to sweat profusely as a flood of memories filled his skull, one image after another flashing through his mind as the two of them spoke, not catching a word they were saying. All he could think of was what it felt like to die. Over and over again. Watching that kid get torn to shreds all while that asshole grinned in victory.  
_It's not him. **It's not him.**_  
He took a deep steadying breath and as he was letting it out, he noticed the two of them looking at him expectantly and without knowing what they'd said, he simply shrugged and ducked his face further into the scarf around his neck.  
"H-hey... nice ta meetcha, Your Highness." He turned his gaze away, not wanting to see that big, bearded face, even if this one looked like a big ball of sunshine in comparison to the one back home. He was just ready to be done with the goose chase. Done with the interruptions. So very ready to just have all the time in the world with his... well, whatever Sans was to him.

Asgore looked curiously between the two very similar monsters, but considering the majority of the population of the underground had several clades of monsters with comparable features... well, it somehow made Sans seem less of an oddity amoung their kind. That another skeleton monster showed up, looking more akin to him than his younger brother had. It just made hims somehow more.... normal. The King had known several handfuls of other skeleton monsters, of course, but as their numbers had dwindled, other monsters forgot that they had been as numerous, and Sans and Papyrus had been seen as strange, as well as the small number that had resided in the Capitol. They'd always been rare, before the War, but after... they were nearly extinct. So seeing the scarred, nervous newcomer...  
"Well, it's good you survived," Asgore said softly, looking back down at the can in his paws. He'd wished there could ave been more to escape the human, that they hadn't lost so many... "thank you for the report. I'll have the safetys informed to send scouts out tomorrow morning for further surveillance." He sighed and looked back at them a moment, the sound sad and heavy, "you may go, thank you."  
Sans didn't answer, just tipped his head in a silent nod of a bow before turning out the door, leaving the King to himself. Once they were in the Hall, he reached over to grip Red's jacket, the feel of the thick leather helping him to steady again. The darkening gleam of the stained glass threw deeper hues of color on the pale and golden pillars and marble.  
"Let's find the hotel," Sans said in a soft whisper, knowing the route from the Hall without needing to look up.

Red snorted at the King's comment. He couldn't know, but still... hearing those words in _that_ voice. He could feel his marrow boil and once they were dismissed, he didn't waste a moment before turning away and heading right back out the door, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders once they were alone again. The feel of the hand on his coat was just as steadying for him as it was for the other and he turned to wrap that smaller skele in his arms, squeezing him tight as his face snuggled in close to his neck.  
"Yeah. Got somethin' way more important I'd rather be taken care of right now, instead o' huntin' for humans." He let a soft growl rumble in his chest as he pressed those sharp fangs teasingly against the smooth bone... then he was turning and wrapping an arm around his friend's shoulders to lead him along towards that ritzy hotel, grinning at just how much nicer it looked. "Heheheh... can't wait to see just how thoroughly I can trash one o' these beds. How 'bout you, sweetheart?" He peered over at Sans with that mischievous gleam in his eye, trying to hide his anxiety over the possibility of another failed performance.


	8. Hotel Room

Sans flushed hard as Red's voice tantalized him, his grin turning coy and hopeful. "Well... least ya won't be on yer own, right?" he replied, looking over at that alluring gleam in the other's eyelights. The hotel was empty and dark, but he summoned a single bone to light up the area like a magic candle, looking over the wall of keys before selecting one of the larger rooms.  
"Figure I earned it," he said with a self-depreciating chuckle, looking over at the other before starting for the stairway. The elevators were shut off still, and even though the suite was three stories up and all the one to one side, he didn't mind the walk. It was rewarded by the click of the door unlocking, and he was glad to see that the switch responded with the soft secondary lights, rather than the mains. Likely a safety feature, he figured, and was he looked around the room - dressed in creams and soft greys, from what he could tell - he spotted the bar, and grinned over at his friend.  
"Looks like the bar's open," Sans joked, moving over to see what as on tap. It was a small array, mostly light liquors and some champagne, but there was enough stocked to get them both decently sauced. He took over three bottles and mixed them into a pair of tall glassed, topping them off with a bit of cream.

That warm red tongue rolled over his sharp fangs as the door opened, looking around curiously before he headed over to the bar to check it out with the other.  
"Yeesh, your MTT sure knows how to girly up his booze, eh?" His attention turned to the concoction his companion had come up with and he couldn't help but chuckle at it before lifting one of the glasses to look it over. "Looks like he ain't the only one." He let out an amused little laugh before clinking their glasses together.  
"To finally enjoyin' some peace. And havin' some hella good company to enjoy it with." He let that warm gaze linger on the other's soft face before he lifted his glass and tilted his head back, downing it in a few easy gulps.  
"Fuckin'... dude, that shit's delicious. Mix me up another! Imma see what else they got here." He set his glass down and started digging through the cabinets, determined to find something a bit harder than the fancy-shmancy stuff they had stocked.

He chuckled as Red enjoyed the mix, setting the glass up with another blend of the trio of boozes and cream. "Usually only uses two kinds, but I prefer it wit three," he said as he slid the glass over, filling his own a second time and sipping at it as he watched his companion ransack the cabinets. He was glad to see at least one good size bottle of rum and some assorted whiskey minis, though that seemed about the best they'd get for now.  
"Maybe we could throw those whiskey shots inta the bubbly," Sans chuckled, toying with the champagne bottle that was still in the half-melted ice water on the counter. He felt himself letting go of all the concerns and worry that had been building up and festering around him since the day before, now that he'd told Asgore. Now that he'd been relieved of responsibility and was free to do as he pleased. The scouts would take over, then after that, what little of the Guard that remained would head into key locations while the safetys began to set up and guide the populous of the Underground back to their homes.  
He sighed as he finished off his cream drink, taking up one of the small whiskey containers and starting to unwrap the cork for the champagne bottle. "An besides... I knew a few gals could hold their booze better'n me. So girly'n anythin up, I'll still drink it."

He brought out the big bottle of rum and set it on the counter before starting on his second drink, guzzling half of it down before licking his fangs clean of the sweet cream.  
"Man, the girls back home couldn't hold their booze for shit. Unfortunate for me, I guess. Pissed Boss right the fuck off when he found out about it." He let out a soft sigh before finishing off the girlier drink and licking his mouth clean once again, his far off gaze slowly coming to focus on the far gentler skeleton beside him.  
He scooted closer to him as he messed with the champagne bottle, finding it fascinating just in the fact that he felt so... _comfortable_... there was no fear of being hurt. No fear of saying or doing the wrong thing and being punished for it... hell, the worst he could imagine was hurting his feelings and...  
He lingered on the thought... hurting him. Hurting this wonderful, but lonely version of himself... it made his soul ache in a way that the physical pain never had. He never wanted to hurt Sans. He never wanted him to feel lonely again. All he wanted was to make him smile, hear that laughter. Bring some good into his life, like he'd done for Red. He reached a hand up and stroked gently across his cheek, those eyes glimmering with affection he never knew he could even feel for another monster, much less... a version of _himself_.  
"So... once all of this is over and... everybody starts goin' back home to try and get settled again..." He brought his hand back and fidgeted with the dirty scarf that still smelled all too strongly of dust. "I... you... you, ah... what I mean to say is..."  
His gaze flickered up to Sans' face before turning slightly panicked and he was quick to find that bottle of rum once again, twisting it open easily to start drinking straight from the bottle as he tried to calm his nerves and get his thoughts together over the voices yelling in his head, one screeching, hellish voice rising above all the others.

The glass was half-filled with champagne and given that double-shot mini of whiskey, swirling it a bit to mix them up as he felt that hand stroke his cheek. Looking over, the clear affection in Red's eyes had his soul fluttering in warmth, and he gave one of those real smiles, contentment flowing through him just as easily as the mixed drink went down his conjured throat. It was bubbly and sharp, and he made a noise, unsure if he liked it or not.  
Though his attention was shifted from the drink and back to his companion, listening to him without a word, the way he fidgeted and turned to the bottle. Sans knew all too well what that was about. Worries flittering along your mind, drowning out everything, making it hard to think, making it hard to focus. He moved his hands, one taking the rum and the other covering the back of Red's hand, fingers curling around to grip it gently.  
"I'll be wherever you are," he said in a soft, sure tone, after he'd had a taste of that rum himself. He pushed the bottle back in front of Red, taking up the small whiskeys and giving a try on having two bottles to half a glass of champagne this time. He was just done mixing them when he spoke up again.  
"What are we, Red? I mean, I know I'm you, an yer me, in some ways... but..." his gaze lingered on the bubbling liquid, watching how the soft champagne took in and melded with the distilled liquor. He took a swallow of it, feeling like it tasted better than before, that maybe he could even say it was good.  
But he left it alone to look back at his friend. "I need you, buddy. In so many ways, really. You know how I feel, more than anyone ever could. More than that, you keep me steady. You give me somethin... just by bein there. And I need that." Sans closed his sockets, his breath shaking in the way it does when you're holding back tears.  
"I can't survive alone, Red. I lost Paps, I can't lose you too. I didn't know til you got here. Til I felt you there an... you jus knew what I need. How ta make it all seem okay."

His fingers toyed with the bottle when it was put back in front of him, his face looking increasingly timid as he listened to the other talk. At least he wasn't the only one wondering what to make of the situation...  
"I..." His gaze fell to the ground as he tried to find the right words, that bright red scarf shifting up to hide the lower half of his face and fill his view as if reminding him. Mocking him.  
"I-I'm..." He remembered last time... last time he'd taken something from around his neck.  
_I don't fuckin' **belong** to you!_  
His hands trembled as he gripped the scarf and started tugging it off his neck, those metal spikes still embedded in his neck sending a sharp pain through him, but his only acknowledgement of them was a grunt as the long red cloth fluttered to the floor. He moved closer to Sans and wrapped one arm around his waist, while his free hand lifted up to curl behind that smooth skull as he pressed their brows together, his gaze never leaving those soft white lights.  
"I'm yours. I'll be anythin' you want and everythin' ya need, Sansy. I ain't _ever_ felt this way before and... I don't ever wanna live without this feelin' again. You..." His face started glowing that bright red and the metal in his bones felt like it was on fire.  
"You got me fallin' real hard... you know that?"  
He could practically hear his soul pounding in his chest as he pressed their bodies together and slowly he brought sharp fangs to smooth teeth, letting the kiss linger sweetly for a while... before that needy red magic pressed its way into the other mouth, curious about what his drink had tasted like.

His soul felt like it was in his throat as he listened to Red, the silent pauses and the quiet thoughts. Sans felt some kind of energy crackling as that scarf fell away, when Red moved in closer and took hold of him just how he'd hoped he would. Bringing him in close and looking at him like he couldn't see enough of him. He loosed a shuddering, relieved breath as he spoke, leaning more into him with each word, until he said he was falling, until their mouths were tasting one another again. He pulled Red into him, accepting and welcoming that thick red magic and tasting the rum with his own, a low whimper in his throat as he braced himself against the other skeleton. Sans was reluctant to pull away, keeping his smooth teeth near those sharp ones as he spoke.  
"I never got ta tell Paps... I wasn't gonna lose the chance ta tell you," he admitted, his voice shaking as he looked at his doppelganger's eyelights, wondering if he'd guessed right about the scarf too.  
Wondering if Red had loved his brother as much as Sans had loved Papyrus. Wondering if he'd loved him in more than just thoughts and wishes. He shivered and pushed into another desperate kiss, pulling back only to hug Red into his chest, feeling him there and solid and real.  
"I... I need you, Red... I need you and I can't let it pass me by this time. I can't..." Sans pulled back to take the red scarf out of his pocket, looking down at the bright fabric with sad, quiet eyelights, "I never got to tell him. I dunno if he even guessed... and I'll never know."  
He gripped the scarf in his fingers, feeling the soft length of red before he placed it on the counter.  
"He'd want me happy, though. And I need you to be happy, Red." Sans' gaze turned from one shade of red to another, the contrast clear, and he looked at his doppelganger with a loving smile. "I just want you happy, too. You look like you need it, buddy."

"I..." He felt the burning sting of tears in his sockets as he looked from the scarf his... _his Sansy_ had been carrying around, to the soft eyes of the skeleton himself. "I... n-never got to tell Boss, either... I mean... we... I... I was _his_..." His hand slipped away from the back of Sans' skull and wrapped around his own throat, thumbing gingerly at the metal embedded in the bone. "I belonged to him and... he didn't let anyone hurt me or... or touch me at all. I... I w-wanna believe that... that was his way... y'know... o-of showin'... that he cared...."  
His gaze fell as did those tears, watching them drip from his chin as he thought about those days. So much pain and anger... but it was all eclipsed by the pleasure he'd been granted. The feeling of being wanted and worth something to somebody.  
"Even... even after he... was gone.... I still couldn't... h-he... w-wouldn't let me...." He clenched his sockets shut tightly as he started digging more harshly at the metal in his neck. "I w-wanna make you happy, too, Sansy. I want to _so fuckin' bad_! But he fuckin'... he _still_ won't fuckin' let me..."  
He could feel his knees shaking and after a moment, he fell to the floor, both hands scraping almost frantically at the burning bits of metal in his neck, becoming more and more desperate to get it out. To be _free_!

His gaze fell to the metal, seeing it now for the first time... and he felt a jab of worry in his soul for him... for his Red. He rolled what he'd said in his mind, feeling the desire to comfort his doppelganger as he heard the scrape of bone on metal, wincing at the hellish noise. He felt the way it sounded, almost as if it was screeching against his own bone.  
His concentration broke as Red went to his knees on the floor, clawing at his neck, and he went to stop him, to keep him from hurting himself, and when one of his fingers touched the metal, he felt a shock of raw, potent anger scream at him.  
Demanding him away, the intent to protect even under that possessive intent. That nothing would touch him.  
Sans's fingertip smoked lightly from where it had practically seared a dark brand on him, and he gritted his teeth, leaning in to take Red's wrists and at least stop him long enough to focus.  
"Red..." he said, his voice trying to calm him, "Red, buddy... don't tear em out. We... we need ta know it won't... won't hurt ya. Need ta know how deep they are, an if you'll need somethin back in, ta keep the bone from collpasin'..." Sans shifted to tip Red's face up, leaning in to give him a soft, lingering kiss, the spark of magic feeling amazing after all the sudden stress. He ran his fingers over the tears, wiping them slowly away.  
"We'll figure it out, babe. It might take a bit, but... I'd rather have ya here, ya know?" Sans took up that rum bottle, offering it to his friend, giving him an encouraging grin. "Let's get trashed an see what we _can_ do, yeah?"

Panic had turned his sockets dark, but once his hands were forced away, his gaze returned to focus on that face... he looked downright angelic past the blur of his tears. And then they were kissing... and everything felt right in the world again. Even with that near-searing burn trying to distract him, he could only think of that wonderful skeleton holding him... and offering him a bottle of sweet relief. He took it and sniffled while one arm lifted up to wipe the rest of the tears from his face.  
"F-fuckin'... sorry about that... I haven't... fuck, I haven't gotten that upset about it in ages. I just... I... I fuckin' cared about him, y'know. He was an asshole... and... he fuckin' hurt me, but... he cared. Even if it was a fucked up kinda carin'... it was the best I had. But now..."  
He looked over that soft face and let out a breath that made his whole body sag as if the weight of the world was finally falling off of him.  
"You're the _best_ thing that's ever happened to me. I ain't ever been this happy in my life... and Imma spend the rest of it showin' ya just how much... h-how much I l-... I... y-y'know..."  
He bashfully turned his gaze to the floor again before bringing the bottle to his mouth and tipping it back, his whole body moving with the moment until he was nearly tipping over. When he sat back up, only a third of the bottle sloshed around in the bottom and by the way he wobbled, it looked like it was already setting in on him. He offered it back to Sans and once his hands were free, he started working his way out of that heavy jacket, making himself look so much smaller without it... but the look in his eye as he finally started relaxing was anything but meek.  
That hungry look was beginning to return, along with his sly little smirk, his whole body shifting like a predator as he pulled himself onto all fours and moved up to press his face against Sans' sternum, growling softly into it before he started nuzzling his way up towards his neck... distracting the other from those sneaky hands that started at his knees and slowly began to work their way up higher and higher on his femurs.

"I know," Sans whispered, turning back to load his glass with whiskey and champagne, having figured that the five remaining bottles into the full glass would suit him just fine. When he turned back, the rum was being offered, and he threw in a shot of that too. Mixing booze was always fun for him. Taking a swig of his concoction, he gave a pleased sigh after it went down, feeling himself going fuzzy and warm, especially once he took in the sight of his companion moving in close.  
He gave a low gasp as Red worked at his neck, humming into it as he felt those fangs and tongue moving sensually at his bone, and he didn't bother with more of his drink yet, the way Red touched him more intoxicating than any amount of alcohol.  
"Ah, fuck, Red..." he murmured, leaning into the bar counter and turning to go ahead and down what was left of his mixed drink, letting the glass fall to the smooth polished top before he took that face in his hands and pulled him up for a proper kiss.  
"That bed looked damn comfy," he whispered against those sharp fangs, now noticing the hand toying with his shorts, "let's go see how it holds up... an what we can get away with..."  
Sans pulled away, grinning as he stumbled back a step, out of Red's grasp, then chuckled as he teleported the five or so feet back he needed to plop down on the creamy, thick comforter, kicking his slippers off before sliding up the rest of the way. Bright eyelights watched that larger form's every move, and his own seemed to just be up for the other to take, from the way Sans looked at him.

"Ohohoho... someone's bein' an awful fuckin' tease."  
He wobbled a bit as he stood, looking over at the figure on the bed with that ever-increasing hunger. He took his own sweet time walking over towards the plush looking bedding, slipping out of his shoes and socks and waiting until he was right at the end of the bed to stop and slowly strip out of that long-sleeved shirt.  
"Ya know, if ya think about it, this is just like some super advanced level of masturbation." He snorted and started crawling up onto the bed, those bright eyes sparkling as he looked his partner over from head to toe. "Y'know, I wonder... just how alike we are in other ways..."  
He leaned down as he crawled in between those smooth legs, pressing a lingering kiss to the pure white bone before placing another further up, stringing a trail up until he was pushing those shorts up to get at more... and then lifting away when the fabric wouldn't let him go any further. Far from being disheartened, he was grinning up at the other as he pulled away, lifting up onto his knees to look down at the smaller skele, his voice turning into a deep purr of desire.  
"Y'know... I didn't really get that good a look at ya earlier. How about ya get them clothes outta the way and let me _really_ get to know that beautiful body o' yours."

A playful chuckle was his response to being called a tease, shifting as he came up closer, watching with a keen interest in every bit of his companion. He snorted right along with Red at the thought, eyelights returning the sparkle in those crimson ones, shivering under each kiss with a little noise of appreciation.  
"Only one way ta find out," Sans breathed, looking over him hungrily as well. His shirt was discarded with little grace, and his fingers pulled his shorts down and off without so much as a pretense of teasing, too eager to feel Red against him again to really put effort into being coy. He kept letting his gaze trail over Red's exposed bones, and he sat up more to run his fingers over his ribs.  
"Ya look like ya can take anythin," he whispered, pressing a kiss up to one of the worse of the badly healed breaks, looking up at the other skele, "like ya don't take shit... ya look like yer all mine."  
Sans added the last bit softly, kissing his sternum as he laced their fingers together, squeezing just a bit before he guided those hands to his iliac crests.  
"Come have whats yers, Red," Sans said, soul fluttering bright blue behind his smooth ribs, wanting nothing more than to have his doppelganger ravage him however he wanted. Sans grinned, his voice a teasing chuckle. "Unless ya wanna jus drink til we pass out, buddy..."

The last words barely had time to escape his mouth before Red was taking it with his own, letting out a possessive growl that told Sans he'd be taking everything the other offered. Everything he could, even if it meant feeling like his skull was going to explode. His fingers gripped firmly on those crests, squeezing and rubbing the smooth bone that felt like silk beneath his chipped fingertips before sliding his hands further back and lifting him up until those femurs were wrapped around his waist.  
"All fuckin' yours, baby. Even if all I got is my tongue, I'm gonna make you feel fuckin' amazing." He pressed a kiss to his sternum, letting it linger before working up to his clavicle, one hand wrapping tightly behind him as he leaned forwards and pushed him back onto the bed, the other hand holding himself up above that smaller skele.  
"You're fuckin' beautiful... I can't even begin to fuckin' say it enough. The way your face lights up when you smile... it fuckin' takes my breath away."  
He leaned down to lay claim to that mouth, enjoying the sweet taste of his magic mixed with the slight sting of the booze, letting it linger on his tongue before he started letting it explore further down. He nibbled along his jaw and down to his neck, slowly letting his hands wander over those smooth bones, not leaving an inch of him untouched as he worked him over.  
"You _feel_ amazing... I ain't ever felt anything like ya. Smooth, but... not _super_ smooth. And like... even though your bones are nice and strong, it's like... you're also so soft. I'm... heh... I'm terrible at explainin' this shit. I just know I wanna fuckin' touch every little bit of ya 'til I got ya memorized."  
Instead of making a further fool of himself, he decided it was time to put his mouth to better use, letting his tongue curl around one of those pristine ribs before he let his sharp teeth scrape gentle against the surface. When he pulled back, he was practically purring with delight.  
"Fuck, you taste amazin'... and I ain't even gotten to the real fun parts, yet." Those crimson lights were dazzling as he peered up at his friend, his darling companion, the monster he was ready to do this every day with. "You got anythin' else you want my tongue workin' on, baby? 'Cause I wanna know what _every_ part o' you tastes like."

Groaning into that kiss as he pulled those hips in against his own bared pelvis, Sans arched into every touch, breath misting against the other's mouth before he got repositioned on the bed. He was lost in how Red's voice washed over him, feeling so comfortably warm the more he felt the other's desires. Gasping as he nibbled down him, writhing slightly and just feeling the other's sweet intentions past the way the booze had him fuzzy and relaxed.  
He chuckled as Red tried to explain, that way he pouted about not being sure how to say it making him fall even more for him. Even though he though he'd been so far into being head over heels, he still could find more to love about the other. He loosed a long, shuddering sound as that tongue worked around his rib, the feel of the fang against him making it even more erotic. The purrs Red made had Sans grinning as he braced himself up on his elbows, gazing down at the larger monster with the white lights blurred and hazy with the alcohol and adoration. Looking at him like he could be happy to see those crimson eyes every day, no matter where they were. Just the sight of them making his soul pulse with longing, and the question making him flush with eager shyness.  
"I can think of a couple things," Sans mused, his grin turning mischievous as he slid a hand down along that heavy jawline, "I mean... ya seem to be enjoyin' yerself jus fine, babe. And them teeth feel great... lil nibbles like yer just gonna eat me alive, Red..." his voice quieted as he went, his bones showing a soft tinge of blue at the joints, and especially warm blue in his pelvis before his ectoform was shifting into a modest, girthy cock, dripping in want for the monster over him, "get a good taste, buddy..." Sans added, drawing the hand from his cheek down to pump his hand along himself, giving a soft moan between his teeth as he looked up at his partner.  
His body arched into his hand, then lifted back up, showing the smear of blue against his palm. "Look what ya do ta me, Red."

The hand at his jaw had him lifting his head to look up at those beautifully hazy eyes, his sockets half-lidding as another deep purr rumbled in his chest. When he felt that form shift, he turned his attention to the magic forming between those legs and he felt his breath still at the sight of him touching himself, his hands squeezing at his lover's femurs as he held back, letting him to what he wished. That pre-soaked hand was gripped at the wrist as his glowing gaze turned up, his tongue running hungrily across his teeth as he grinned at the dirty little skele who was just begging to be devoured.  
"Hoooh, Sansy baby. I ain't fuckin' done _nothin'_ yet."  
He pulled the hand to his mouth and licked it clean, savoring that taste on each bony digit as he moaned and felt his own body beginning to tingle with magic, though it was ignored for the time being. He had more important things to worry about. Once that hand was released, he finally turned attention to that delicious-looking cock that was still dripping heavily for him... and he'd never seen anything more beautiful in his life.  
His entire body vibrated with the deep, purring growl he loosed, that tongue licking at the corners of his mouth as he held back, just wanting to enjoy the sight for a while longer, but sweet stars it was just too much. He all but dove at that cerulean cock, letting the flat of his tongue run up the underside of his dripping shaft, licking it clean before swirling around that swollen head, lapping up every drop that fell for him.  
"F-fffuuuckin' hell, Sansy."  
The grip on his femurs tightened as he pressed in further, enveloping that dick with his mouth and letting his tongue get to work, wrapping around him and suckling as his head slowly worked up and down, those fangs never touching the sensitive flesh... unless he was wanting them to. Every once in a while the sharp edge of a tooth would graze teasingly along the surface of that dripping magic, threatening but never hurting his lover as he worked hard on finding out just how many beautiful noises he could have coming out of his look-alike.

He felt the way Red's excitement grew, mirroring his own as he watched him lick his hand clean, sockets hooded as he began to pant in want. Stars, he wanted him so bad, every time he looked at him like he couldn't think of anything else but consuming Sans. His fingers curled into the soft bedding as that tongue licked a hot stripe up the underside of his shaft, breath hissing in with a stammering gasp, hips and legs twitching as he watched.  
"Fuck, Red..." he breathed, his entire body trembling in desire. When the larger monster took him, Sans moaned in his throat, hips starting into a lazy, almost pleading motion, just going up to meet that mouth, every scrape of fang giving a heady mixture of emotions; a tinge of fear, need, and trust that he wouldn't push too far.  
It seemed Sans started out quiet, just little gasps and twitches as that mouth built him up into a constant wave of motions, panting until he started to feel... something else. He could tell, now, the longer he had such intimate contact with Red, it was growing stronger. It had just been a whisper, a hiss of a threat from afar... and it had come closer, stalking up with each time Red swallowed down more of his pre, the more he grew eager and into the moment.  
The whisper was a snarl, damning and demanding he stop... and the longer he refused, the more it began to feel as if it were going to force him with more than just sensation.  
His breath stammered as he caught his voice.  
"R-Red... yeh okay?" he strained, worrying now that he wasn't the only one feeling the effects of that buried metal. Worried he'd been hurting the other just for a bit of pleasure, and he groaned out a choked noise of discomfort as that first lash of violent magic was rebuffing him, flinching back on the bed.  
"Fuck!"

The sweet taste of his partner was intoxicating enough as it was, but sweet stars the noises he made, the way he was grabbing at the bed... _everything_ was driving him absolutely wild! He drank up every little drop he was given and even with a feeling like a heated metal noose pulled tight around his neck, he pressed on, eager to show Sans just how badly he wanted him.  
Somewhere through his drunken fog, he heard a voice saying his name. It sounded like Sans, but after a minute of having that screeching voice calling him every dirty, demeaning name in the book, he'd shut down every thinking process the booze could handle.  
It wasn't until Sans physically flinched away that he came back to his senses, his sockets widening a bit in alarm and his mouth opening to ask the other if he was alright... but with his senses returned, he was suddenly very aware of the pain. Those bright red eyes turned to pinpricks as he reached up to wrap his hands around his throat, making a soft noise in a silent scream as he fell forwards and curled into a trembling ball on the bed, his mind too focused on the pain to even think about breathing.

Sans could only imagine how terrible the pain was, for it to be having the other skeleton trembling in silent agony. His first reaction was to move closer, but before he could even touch the scarred bones, he felt like if he did, it would only cause him more pain, and he didn't want to do that. Bad enough that every time they'd gone past just kissing and rubbing, Red had seemed to pay the price, now he was really unsure if he should have pushed it.  
Sans groaned as he grabbed his skull, unable to figure out what to do for his companion, what to do for Red. He couldn't touch him, he didn't have any fucking healing magic, it seemed like everything to do with him was going to hurt Red.  
"Fuck," he choked, his voice sobbing, falling into a fetal position on the bed, already starting to feel the trickles of tears tracing down from his closed sockets.  
He trembled, helpless and useless, and is head was all too happy to start chattering away with all his faults and failures from the last week.  
_You hurt everyone you care about... no one should be near you... it's your fault everyone died, you didn't stop them! You knew! You knew! YOU KNEW!_

It felt like ages, but really it was just a matter of minutes that he spent curled up on the bed, shaking hard until the pain began to dim down enough for him to breathe again.  
"H-holy... _fuck_..."  
It felt like his entire body was caught in an earthquake, he was shaking so bad, but instead of horrified pain, his face was covered in a rather blissed-out grin. His hazy lights slowly came into focus as he looked down to see... quite the mess he'd made on the bed.  
"W-well, fuck... I swear this nev-..."  
His voice caught in his throat as he saw the way Sans was curled up, looking like he was in more pain than Red had been.  
"Sans! Sweetheart! What's wrong?! _Fuck_! Did I hurt ya?" He moved closer and slid his hand up that smooth arm, letting his rough palm try to comfort the trembling skeleton, even as that voice in his head was screaming at him to leave at once and never look at Sans again. But fuck that. He was here for the long-haul even if it meant listening to this stars-damned voice insulting him for the rest of his life.  
"Come on, baby. I'm sorry. Look at me, _please_!"

"Fuck," he managed to choke out, crying and shaking as if he could never apologize enough. He heard Red, felt that husky-sweet way that voice spoke to him, an Sans shivered as he strained to reach, finding Red's hand and sobbing as he felt the way everything had gone sideways and tangled in his head. That the lifeline of his partner holding his hand was leading him, step by slow dragging step, into something that didn't make him feel like he deserved to be left there alone.  
"N-no... no just... fuck, please, Red, keep talkn..." he sobbed, his voice a strained ache as his fingers curled tight into the scarred hand. He managed to look up, to see those determined crimson lights, and he shook with another keening wail as he felt like he didn't deserve him. Sans ached to have him there, to stay and feel all the comfort his double offered... and he felt like he had done nothing to earn it.  
_All you've done is cause pain, all you've done is let it wreck the world around you..._  
His voice was a low, choked noise as he made himself speak. "Y-ya didn't do nothin wrong."

He let out a sigh of relief as he was reassured he hadn't fucked everything up and as Sans begged to hear his voice, he pulled him up into his arms and held him close, shushing him as he nuzzled his face in close.  
"Shhhshsh, everything's alright, baby. I gotcha. I'm right here. Can ya tell me what happened? Fuckin'... _stars_ you tasted so fuckin' good, but then you like.. _flinched_ like I hurt ya or somethin'. Then everything just got really blurry and it burned and..." He shifted his hips as he looked down at the bright red, cum-covered cock between his legs and he felt his face light up in shame as it continued to twitch.  
"D-did I... do somethin' scary? Or... ah fuck, it was... it was _Boss_ , wasn't it? _Goddammit_."  
He let out a heavy sigh and hugged Sans even closer as he buried his face into the other's neck.  
"I'm sorry, baby. Did... _he_ hurt ya? I mean... I always knew it hurt me, but... never got far enough with anyone else to see what it'd do to 'em... or.. to _you_." He groaned as he pressed a kiss to that neck, then shifted him until he could see that tear-covered face, one of his hands reaching up to wipe that translucent magic away as best he could before kissing at the rest.  
"S-sorry, I... we can... I-I dunno... c-...cuddle if ya want. If... if you're okay. I'm sorry I... sorry I can't..."  
He knew if he said what he felt... that he was such a fucking _failure_ , Sans would tell him otherwise... but he knew. Until they found a way to get the metal and the last of his brother's magic out of him, he'd be completely useless as a lover. This was even worse than not being able to do _anything_... to be so close... to be able to touch him and kiss him and hold him, but not make him feel as good as he'd been given...  
He could feel himself being dragged into a bout of hopelessness, but the feel of that other skeleton in his arms... Sans was _his_ anchor. And he'd find a fucking way to be his in every possible way.

Sans went gratefully into those arms, chasing away the pain with his voice and scent as he shivered in his embrace, not even bothered by anything but how much he needed him. How each touch and every sound he made had the skele sobbing in relief. It silenced everything else, letting his mind clear so that he wasn't drowning in his own thoughts.  
When he asked if it was Boss, his Papyrus, Sans gave a meek nod, sure that it was the magic keyed into that metal that had caused him such a response.  
It was the feel of disapproval, raging and cursing the further they went, and he pressed his face into that hand stroking his tears away.  
"I w-wanted to... I wanted to keep goin... but... but I th-thought you would be hurt, the magic, an... and I can't do that t-to ya babe..."  
Sans hoped his stupid babbling was clear enough, feeling like if he tried to think about it too much, those feelings of snarling possessiveness would come back and make him flinch away again. His voice came out, weak and pitiful, after he'd cried himself out in his companion's arms.  
"I'm sorry," Sans said, full of remorse and unspoken guilt, "I'm sorry, I'm such a wreck... please... jus... anythin, Red." His fingers found more to grip on the other, needing to feel him as much as possible, as much as the collar buried in those scarred cervical vertebrae would let them. He looked up, eyelights tinged grey in sad tiredness.  
"Please jus hold me, babe. Please. I need you. Y-you... you make it quiet, y-ya keep me... keep me sane."


	9. Assurances

"Ah, Sansy..." He pulled that blubbering skeleton further up the bed before falling over so they were laying on their sides, his magic still refusing to dissipate and pressing against the other's femur as he held him close and stroked along his body. "Heh, you uh... don't really have to worry about hurtin' me, baby. I... I-I... um... I like pain.... a lot." His gaze shifted to the side as he blushed, then down at his scar-covered body, letting it linger as he remembered all the good times and the bad that came with each one.  
"I-I'm sorry if it... f-freaked ya out. You don't... you don't gotta do nothin' you don't want to, but... I'm just sayin', you don't have to worry about me so much when it comes to this. So long as _you_ feel good, I'm great." He slid his fingertips along a damp cheek, watching those grey eyes for a long minute until his lit up in a bright glimmer. "You, uh... you looked like you were havin' a great time there for a minute. And fuckin'... holy shit, the noises you were makin'."  
He felt a shiver run up his spine a she pressed his hips in closer, the feel of those smooth bones against his still achingly sensitive member making him growl quietly against the other's mouth. "If it weren't for this fuckin'... _curse_ , I could go all fuckin' night down there, just listenin' to ya moan for me. It, uh... it was real easy to shut out that annoyin' voice in the back of my head... when I had somethin' way better to focus on." He pressed into the kiss with a purring growl, his hand sliding down to grip Sans' hip and pull him in closer as his tongue snaked its way out, intent on making him feel good and distracting him from everything in the world that could upset him.

He was still fighting back some hiccuping sobs, even as Red stroked and assured him it was alright. He nodded, small little shifts of his head, wanting so much to know that he'd not hurt him. Sans couldn't help the little flush as he felt that firm magic against his leg, listening to how he'd enjoyed what they had gotten to do. That what he'd been doing was enough to put the voice at bay, though it seemed they would need a more permanent solution if they wanted to do more than this. He reveled in the distraction Red provided, hands pulling the larger frame in harder and kissing him back with a fervor that bordered on obsessive. When he released his mouth, somehow still having tasted some of himself on that tingling magic, he looked up at his doppelganger with his eyelights back to that pristine whiteness.  
"I wanted to, so much... I didn't know if you'd be okay, though... I don't want to ever hurt you, Red... not..." he flushed a bit, thinking of how he'd said he liked pain, "not in a way that matters, I mean." Sans leaned their brows together, managing a shuddering sigh into some kind of calmness, taking in the way Red seemed to make it all okay, just by being there. "Thanks, though... I just... I just wanna be here, with you. I wanna know yer okay, an... we can figure out how ta get those things out, Red. So that you don't gotta worry about me worry'n," Sans gave him a sheepish grin, looking into those bright red eyelights with a look of total adoration, "you were doin real good, babe... like I was in heaven."

 _'Look at that sniveling coward, Sans. He'll never be able to please you like I can.'_  
_Heh. That so? Ya can't really fuckin' please me when you're dead asshole._  
_'Oh really? Then what of that disgusting mess earlier? That certainly wasn't **him**.'_  
His skull flushed with a deep-seated shame at how much he'd enjoyed the intensity from earlier and he could practically see that smug asshole smirking at him from the grave... but his thoughts were interrupted when he was pulled into a near-frantic kiss and with a soft, rippling growl, he pulled himself into it with a matching fervor. Those bright crimson lights widened as he listened quietly to his lover, feeling his entire body beginning to flush as the words sank in and slowly his mouth curled into an eager grin.  
_You know what, asshole? It don't matter if he can hurt me like you could. I could be stuck never havin' sex again... and it'd be alright. 'Cause look at that face... he fuckin' **cares** about me._  
Red pulled him in closer and nuzzled their faces together with every ounce of affection he could muster, his chest rumbling with those purring growls before he pulled himself ontop of the other, bracing himself on his elbows as he looked down at that beautiful face with warmly glowing hearts in his eyes.  
"I'm okay as long as you are, sweetheart. I can take _anything_ so long as I know you're safe and happy. I'd... I'd do _anything_ for you, ya know." He rested his brow against the other, spending a good long while simply watching that face and hoping he could convey with his eyes what his mouth was too scared to say. He felt like the moment he admitted just how much he cared... that would be when everything went to shit. He'd never been allowed anything good in his life. Even now, everything was working against him, not letting him just be happy with someone who wanted him. Who _needed_ him, just as much as he needed them.  
"Heh. Just imagine how it'll be when we ain't gettin' interrupted. When I ain't got nothin' holdin' me back." He pressed that dripping magic against the smooth white bone of his lover's pelvis and growled softly as the burning in his bones made him throb, a heavy dribble of that delicious pre running down the underside of his shaft to coat the pure white beneath it. "Imma have you makin' sounds that echo through the whole Underground. _Everybody's_ gonna know my name." He pressed his hips even more firmly against the other as he leaned down, his voice rippling with a smoky growl as he whispered into his ear. " _Everybody's_ gonna know you're _mine_."

It took having the other move over him to break the silent peace that seemed to have enveloped the smaller skeleton, gazing up at those glowing hearts with a gasp of near-disbelief. That Red could have made his soul feel like that just from looking at him, the voice whispering over him and making it where only right here, right now with him, mattered. His hands slid up that face, slow and loving, wanting to pull out every moment they could together, unwilling to leave any of it. Sans wanted so much to say it, but somehow, he knew why Red hadn't, could feel the way it weighed at both of them. An unspoken promise to not jinx the little luck they had.  
Then Red had him grinning, images of just how hot and heavy both of them could get once those metal bits were gone. He gasped a low noise as that warm shaft rubbed at his still-sensitive pubis, biting his lower lip and gazing up with bright hearted white eyelights when Red came back up from his whispering growl. Sans gave him a gentle little kiss, a touch of teeth to fang that sparked a little sweet magic, before his own voice came up to meet the scarred monster.  
"I bet ya will... an I know once I can have all of you, Red... _ooh hooo **hoo**_ buddy..." his voice dropped, almost the same roughness, but with a silkier, more liquid tone, "I'm gonna make you _all_ mine, babe..." Sans lifted up into another kiss, tongue curling with and drawing out the bright crimson one to take in his own mouth, suckling at it was if he were giving just a teasing taste of what he wanted to do in other places. He loosed his mouth to pant into the fangs, fingers gripping at his shoulders.  
"Wanna try somethin else? Since... I know ya won't be hurt," Sans still had that teasing tinge, going more enticing as he rolled his hips up, his cock brushing up against Red's, "an I aint gonna be too surprised this time..."  
His hand slid down the cracked, mismatched ribs, moving down until he was sliding a finger down along that heated crimson rod, then took his own, making a soft little noise _just_ because he knew how much it might drive his partner mad to hear it. He gave himself a slow, hard pump, eliciting another alluring sound as he kept looking up at the other skeleton.

A pitiful whimper took the place of those heated growls as Sans teased at him, his hips rolling up towards the wandering hand that had touched him, while the rest of him wiggled like an excited puppy. "Fffuck, baby. You always been this fuckin' sexy... or is it just for me?" A smug grin crossed his face before he leaned down, kissing and nibbling at his neck while he toyed with himself, his own shaft rubbing so very pleadingly against his hand. "Ohhoooo, I'm gonna fuck you _so_ good after we get this shit taken care of. So fuckin' hard we break the bed... and then so tender that you'll forget about everythin' else in the world but me."  
That crimson tongue slid up over his neck before he finally lifted up, moving up onto his knees so he was looking down at that beautiful, flawless creature beneath him with a gaze that had even his own soul fluttering. Just the sounds and that erotic little face had him worked up enough to have his shaft gleaming with a fresh coat of pre and after a few minutes of enjoying the view, he let his gaze wander further down until it landed on the hand pumping gently at his blue shaft.  
"Mmmm, fuckin'... everything about you just looks so fuckin' delicious, baby." He slid a hand down until it was wrapping around the base of that wet, red cock and giving it a few teasing pumps that told him just how sensitive it still was... then he pressed it down until they were rubbing together, his juices easily beginning to turn that bright blue cock a pretty shade of purple. "Fuckin' hell... I wanna fuck you so bad right now it's ridiculous. I bet you'd look fuckin' amazing ridin' ontop o' me." He gave Sans another devious grin as he pressed himself harder against the other shaft and let his fingers slip down until his hand was wrapped around both shafts, the heavy lubing of his own cum making the thick shaft slide easily against the other and bringing out almost animalistic noises of pleasure.  
"F- _fuck_ , sweetheart!"

"Mm, you know it," Sans grinned, still working at his cock as he was assaulted with affection, sockets hooding in pleasure as he felt like right now was possibly the best thing to happen to him in years. His breaths grew a little more erratic as Red laved attention at his neck, then followed him up to watch almost daringly as both of them rubbed themselves, little noises growing stronger the more they went.  
As that larger hand claimed the both of them, Sans made a heady gasp, his hand still on part of himself, but relinquishing most of it to the other, feeling the warming tingle of that hot red magic against him, blurring their juices into a sticky violet mess. When Red made that _sound_ , all he could do was moan and rut his hips up harder into that slippery hold, already slick with sweat as he gazed up at the other.  
"Fuckn hell, Red... ya sound like you're gonna devour me, babe," he said, breathless and enjoying every bit of it. He wanted nothing more than to give himself up to that scarred monster, have every whim and desire taken out on his body... and he grinned as he looked up at his partner. "I wanna fuck you until you beg me ta let ya rest, buddy," he teased, giving a good hard motion that had him shuddering with a low, throaty moan, "oh, fuck _yes_ , Red!"  
He was slowly noticing the building tension, that edge of feeling like you were doing something you knew you shouldn't. That sensation of being growled at. He knew what it was and he'd be damned if he'd let it get the better of him now, not when Red was looking so fucking perfect over top of him, their cocks slipping deliciously together in his grip.  
"Fuck, babe, fuck keep goin... I'm all yers..."

"Oh baby, I'll beg for a lot o' things, but I don't think I'd ever want ya to stop. I'd let ya fuck me 'til I pass the fuck out." His thrusts became increasingly eager against his hand, the bright hearts in his sockets losing focus for a moment until he heard that moan and came back to focus on his beautiful noises. "Fuck, Sansy... _hnnnn_ , don't stop... stars, I love hearin' that name come outta your mouth."  
He leaned further down until their faces were mere inches apart, his heavy breath washing over that flushed face as he picked up the pace even further. "F-fuck, baby... I-" Those red lights constricted as he felt his neck light up with that feeling of searing pain around the bone and while he looked agonized for a long moment, his face slowly began to shift.  
His tongue lolled out from his mouth as he started looking more and more blissed out, his hips moving far more urgently as he stroked against his lover, his other hand moving down to grip the tops of their meshed members as it became almost too slick to handle them. "Sansy... b-baby... haaaah... s-so.... good..."  
His gaze became unfocused as he rested his brow against the other, looking down as he felt his entire body beginning to light up with that painful fire, like being struck by a continuous bolt of lightning while that nagging voice was drowned out in the back of his head. It didn't matter. All that mattered was that soft gaze looking up at him, the feeling of their magic meeting and that swelling pleasure he got from touching his Sans... along with defying Boss.

Panting up to Red's face, there with his, Sans leaned up to kiss along his jawline, near that lolling tongue, hands working at his hips and ribs, looking for sensitive spots, looking to pleasure him, even as he was bucking up into that slick hand. "Fuck, Red... you're doin so fuckn good," he murmured, lavishing attention on a spot that he found that got a particularly heavy reaction, fingers shifting into a thick scar, tracing around the edges and down into the uneven healing, "right there, babe?" he asked in a teasing tone, rubbing it harder, then thrusting his hips up with a throaty noise, "haaa, yeah, c'mon Red... "  
Sans kept repeating his name, somehow able to use it to ward off those creeping sensations of what he guessed was the effects of the magic keyed into the metal, though it seemed to build the longer they kept contact. As if it needed to notice their differences more... then Sans forgot how to think, Red's fingers gripping him tight with just the slightest electric haze crackling along him. It would hurt if it had been any stronger, but his eyelights rolled back and he gave a pleased groan. "Oh yes... hha... _haaa_ fuck, Red..." He was pushing himself up into that grip with a growing desperation, moans shifting into nigh-orgasmic as he was feeling like everything was tightening up. Like he was so very close and so ready. " _Mmm_ ph... Red c'mon... I'm gonna... fuckn..."  
It was right there. Right at the very edge, he just needed a hint more, just a little push.

The feel of that more actively created pain along his scar had him focusing in on it and the hungry growl that followed made the bed around them vibrate. All he could hear was Sans, the rest of the world just white noise around him. He focused in on those panting breaths, his moans, those desperate pleas that had him twitching and ready to unload right there, but luckily his little 'accident' from before made it a hell of a lot easier to hold back for him. He wasn't going to stop this time. Not until his sexy little lover was satisfied. He'd spent too much time in his life feeling like a huge disappointment and he wasn't going to keep letting Sansy down.  
"You gonna cum for me, baby? Lemme fuckin' have it then. Come on. Don't hold back on me."  
He pushed himself in harder, his body arching over the other as he pounded away at his hands, those slick shafts making deliciously wet noises against his fingers as he got so _very_ , very close. "Hooooh, baby. Gimme all of it. All of _you_. I fuckin' _need_ it, sweetheart!" His head slid to the side and he waited until he felt that other shaft throbbing in that oh so familiar way before he bit down possessively on his neck, growling right next to his face as he finally let himself release that sticky load down onto his lover, not even slowing down as he continued pumping hard into his hands.  
His hips didn't slow down until he'd feel the other's sweet release on him and even then, he simply slowed into a lazier pace, his hands loosening but still keeping their wet magic touching, not quite ready to feel separated from him even if it meant feeling like he had a red hot poker shoved into his spine.

His entire body was just a vessel for pleasure as he came, moaning hoarsely as he felt Red at his neck, eyelights rolled back and body taut underneath the larger monster. He felt that other magic tickling down on him, mixing with his own, making every little touch feel like it lasted for hours as Red kept thrusting, panting in time with his movements.  
"Ah... fuck Red... all yers, all for ya," he moaned again, moving his own hips up into the languid pace of that grip, hands going up to cradle the heavy skull. He pressed a hungry little kiss in before he had their brows pressed together again, bodies shifting together in a slow rhythm as he gazed up with hearted eyelights. "You do so good, baby... jus wit yer hands... can't imagine... oh fuck... oh I'm gonna fuck'n enjoy find'n out everythin you can do, Red."  
Sans could feel the angry ripples all around them, the seething aura of the magic, but he was too focused on how damn good Red felt to really take notice of it. To bother giving it more than a passing thought. He kissed Red again, moaning lightly into his mouth as he kept hold of them, dappling more kisses along the bottom of his mouth, perfectly happy to stay just like that for as long as he could. It felt like heaven.  
"Yours, baby," Sans whispered against his fangs, feeling his soul pulse with a little thrill. As if to say how much he was loving him, without having to say it. Without risking it calling down whatever shit could be summoned by saying it out loud. "All yours."

Those sweet words seemed to sap the last of his strength and he slumped down onto the smaller skele, finally letting his hands slide away, smearing the sheets with the evidence of their transgressions against the annoying little voice inside their heads. "Stars, baby... I'm yours forever." He let out one of those soft rumbling purrs as he returned the kiss, leaning up on his elbows a bit so he wasn't crushing the other into the mattress with his bulkier form.  
"I don't care what happens... you're stuck with me for the rest o' your life, you know that, right?" He kissed along his cheek, the side of his jaw and began peppering smaller kisses all over his face as his energy started to return a bit. "Imma make you smile and feel so fuckin' _good_ for the rest o' your life. Ain't nothin' gonna stop me from lovin'-"  
His voice caught in his throat as he felt a sharp pain shoot through his skull and he quickly buried his face into the other's shoulder, feeling tears welling up in the corners of his sockets as a piercing, ringing noise filled his skull. It grew to a skull-splitting crescendo over the course of several seconds and Red seriously began to fear his head might actually explode, but as suddenly as it had come on, it disappeared and his whole body slumped after not even realizing how tensed up he'd gone, what little energy he'd had completely drained as he slipped off to the side, breathing heavily, but looking no worse for wear.

Sans was damn-near purring too as he was cuddling with that scarred bundle of afterglow, his breath catching in that moment, then his eyelights went to pinpricks as Red seemed to choke. He gripped onto the skeleton as he pressed into him, feeling the way his bones seemed to lock up in place and cringe. His soul stopped a moment when he fell aside, sitting up as best he could manage with the heavier weight over his legs.  
His fingers traced along the side of Red's face, checking him and getting that eerie sensation of seeing the LV he had. But he was alive, and relatively unharmed. Sans sighed, relieved, placing his hand along that heaving ribcage, and slowly began petting along those worn-out bones.  
"You did so good, Red," Sans said in a soft voice, continuing the gentle touches for as long as he could, eventually cuddling himself down against that other form, shifting him enough to where he could lay snug up against him. He gave him a soft kiss to the edge of his jaw, still giving long, slow strokes down his body. "No one I'd rather be stuck with, babe," he said, tone reverent and soft, "you're so amazing." Another kiss, and he leaned their brows together, stroking lightly along his cheekbone as the smaller of the pair eventually dozed off.

One of his _mostly_ cleaned hands slid up to cup the side of Sans' face as they kissed, groaning softly as the throbbing in his skull lightened until he was back to bein' comfortable and with the smaller figure curled up to him, he felt like he could take anything. "Nah, _you're_ amazin'." His hand continued to stroke gently along his face until he was asleep and even after, he lay awake with his sockets hovering close to shut, simply watching that sweet face.  
_Fuckin' stars, I... I love you... so much..._  
He could feel his face heating up, not from the metal but from his own honest feelings and the niggling bit of shame over not being able to express it all properly. He didn't want to jinx it... but what if something _did_ happen? And he'd never gotten to _say_ it...  
He pulled himself closer before tugging a bit of clean blanket over their bared bodies, snuggling happily against the other before leaning in and pressing a gentle kiss to those smooth teeth as he slept, remembering that first kiss with a warm smile.  
"If anythin' _does_ happen... I'd tear through time and space to be back here with you." His voice slowly faded from a whisper to barely an audible breath as his sockets finally got too heavy to fight the mounting exhaustion and he slipped off into the deepest slumber he'd ever known.


	10. Unscheduled Appointment

Sans groaned as he bundled into the bedding and Red's front, the annoying sound of his stupid goddamn phone going off over somehwer eint eh room. He forgot where his clothes had ended up and really didn't care, just wanting it to leave him goddamn alone with the other monster. It was about the fifth time it started going off that he sat up with an annoyed huff, almost a growl, and damn near threw a bone at his jacket before he slid off the bed, his front lightly stained in splotches of color. Picking it up, he saw it was Alphys, and he made a face. She shouldn't have signal in the bunkers... "Al?"  
"S-Sans! I tried calling so much!" the nervous lizard's voice sounded so relieved. He gave a sigh, rubbing his browbones. He almost asked when her voice picked back up. "I-it's been two days! I th-though maybe you just needed some time t-to yourself b-but you w-weren't home s-so I-"  
"Al, calm down. I'm alright, jus... heh, needed a bit of a nap it seemed. Two days ya said, guess I was worn down to the bone, eh?"  
"J-jeez Sans, I th-thought you were-"  
"No, Al, promise I'm alrigh. As alright as I can be, I guess. You back at the labs already?"  
"Y-yeah, I mean... the... they needed me, they were confused why I left but I tried to e-explain..."

There was a grunting snore from the bed when Sans started talking, but the blanket covered lump simply shifted a bit, a bony hand reaching out and groping along the mattress before he went still, listening to the half of the conversation he could hear. He wondered what his world's Alphys would be like. He'd gotten along well enough with the one back home, though she was always a few cards short of a full deck. Still, if everyone here was so much more docile...   
Since he knew he wasn't getting back to sleep, he shifted onto his front and started to stretch, his spine popping pleasantly before he finally sat up and let out a heavy yawn. He rubbed at his sockets, staring sleepily at the smudgey-colored skeleton on the phone, crossing his arms over his knees to rest his chin as he grinned and simply took in the view.   
_Fuckin' beautiful..._   
He let out a soft growl and rolled over to join his companion, slipping up behind him and nuzzling a few kisses along his shoulder before whispering sweetly in his ear. "I'll be in the shower, sweetheart." He pressed another kiss along his jaw before slipping away towards the washroom, giving that bulky body another long stretch and groaning all the way to get himself cleaned.

He was glad to hear that things had gone smoothly with getting everyone returned home... the King was planning an assembly within the next few days, likely to encourage everyone, though if they knew what Alphys relayed to him... it wouldn't do for the monsters to know how much had really been lost. She said that about twenty percent or more of the total population had been killed, by estimates. The precise numbers were still being tallied up from the last time they'd had a census of the population. The bulk of the Guard was gone, well over two-thirds of it. The next few months would be hectic for those still in armor, and it would likely take longer than that to get everything stable again.   
He didn't speak for most of the phonecall, even after Red had come up and given him a bit of comfort in those kisses. Alphys needed to talk, he could tell. It was keeping her from turning inward, like he would, and he was glad to be able to support... really, about the only other friend he had. He'd have to call Grillby and see how Snowdin was...   
_Snowdin... I dunno if I can go back, not to stay..._   
He fell even quieter after that thought, not even giving her small noises to let her know he was listening, and Alphys stopped after a bit. It took her repeating his name a few times before he snapped back out of it.   
"Shit, sorry Al," he murmured, rubbing his sockets with a sigh, "I'll... I'll see about comin to visit. Just think'n too much, yeah. Yeah, no, I'm okay. 's all good, Al. Yeah, I'll call b'fore I get there so you can unlock." Tossing the phone aside, he sighed again, head falling into his hands as he took several long breaths.   
They'd been out for at least a day and a half, just sleeping up here. It'd been likely the longest, deepest he'd been able to sleep in so long. It was refreshing. Sans didn't feel weary, or worn out, or even all that groggy, strangely enough. Just... a bit lost. Hesitant on how to continue.   
So, instead of bundling up in his head, he got up and hurried over to the shower, hoping he'd not missed out on another cleaning with Red.

A smile formed when he heard the sound of bone clicking against tile and he slid the glass door open when he saw the blurry form of the other through the steamy surface. "Hey there, gorgeous. Was hopin' you'd show up." He led him into the refreshingly hot water that felt like it was washing away years of dirt and grime along with the fresh stains of the other night's activities. "Fuck, I ain't ever felt so... well-rested. No nightmares, no one yellin' at me to get outta bed. Just wakin' up to hear your voice." He slipped his arms around his smaller counterpart and happily nuzzled their nosebones together before kissing him softly. "I could _definitely_ get used to this."   
He let their bodies linger quietly in the steaming hot water before he lit up with an almost uncharacteristic excitement. "Oh man! You've gotta see the shit they got stocked in here. Fuckin' there's these lil soaps that are, I kid you not, shaped like fuckin' Mettaton. I ain't ever seen so much ego in my life!" He picked up one of those lavender scented bars and chuckled to himself as he showed Sans and grabbed a washcloth, lathering it up before he started scrubbing the other down, his gleeful face growing soft with affection.  
Stars, he loved being gentle with him. Like he was some valuable treasure that he didn't want to hurt or blemish in any way. The cloth slid down to that mixture of colors and he smirked to himself.   
Well, maybe in _some_ ways. "So, how's Al holdin' up? Hope they're keepin' her busy. Last thing she needs is a buncha downtime to think about... well... all the shitty stuff that's gone down here." He let out a heavy sight as he slid the cloth around to start scrubbing thoroughly behind his ribs. "I just... wish I coulda appeared here sooner. Before all this shit went down... but I guess dwellin' on it doesn't do any good. I'm just..." He looked up to that soft face and his smile was tinted with sadness. "I'm just glad I could save you if nothin' else. I... never woulda thought I'd meet someone who could mean _so much_ to me, so fast."

Sans went into those arms with a soft smile, nuzzling him in return before returning that kiss. He listened in silence as Red was talking excitedly to him about the stuff, and he was watching how glad he looked. He adored seeing that face happy. He liked how the other was relaxing with him, even as he was scrubbing away the last traces of their shared pleasure from the other night. He didn't want that to be the last time they made a mess together, grinning with a pale flush as he thought of it. Of how much he'd enjoyed the way Red covered and took him, how much more they could have together. His thoughts snapped back to the present when he asked about the lizard monster, and he nodded just a bit.   
"Yeah, she's... got a bit of company, told her I'd visit... ah... figure you might be a surprise, if ya don't mind," Sans said, trying to look sheepish, but just looking proud of himself. He knew something as - _profound_ \- as Red would really help Alphys keep her mind off things. Maybe even be the bolster she needed to get past it, in some ways. He knew nothing would ever replace Undyne or Mettaton for her, just as nothing could ever replace his brother... but there were always new routes to try. Something else to find worth living for.   
Sans smiled down at Red, the sentiment about saving him making the smaller doppelganger just feel warm inside, past the steamy hot shower. His hands found Red's, lacing their fingers together as he kept his voice low, only enough to get past the sound of the shower. "Never thought that either, Red... but here we are. So..." he leaned in and pressed a kiss to that scarred brow, just above the socket that had the thick crack, and he made a gentle noise of contentment, "I never been so glad ta be with anyone, tell ya the truth. Jus everythin 'bout ya makes it okay."

"Heheh, I do like surprisin' people. Maybe I should dress up like ya. Really give her somethin' to gawk at." He leaned into the touches and let his sockets fall shut at the kiss, gently squeezing his fingers as he sighed. "Same with you. If it hadn't been for you I dunno if I'd have been as cool with showin' up in some random ass universe that just went through hell." He slid one hand up to cup Sans' face and pulled him into another gentle kiss, shivering at the way the water worked over him like a million tiny fingers. "Granted, my universe was complete shit and there was no savin' it. I wish... I wish I coulda at least saved Boss from all the mayhem, but... after..."   
His gaze fell to the floor and his smile faltered as memories flooded through his skull.   
"After he got into the Royal Guard, there was no stoppin' it. I _tried_. I tried talkin' to him and he wouldn't fuckin' listen and... after a while his LV got so high I couldn't reason with him over _anything_."   
His sockets widened a bit as the floor became speckled with spots of pink from his falling tears hitting the water and he looked almost alarmed as he peered back up at Sans.   
"S-...sorry. I... I didn't mean to ramble on about that shit." He pulled his hands away as he turned to wipe his face and let the hot shower water run over it, using the time to try and calm himself back down as his scarred soul thrummed heavily in his chest.

"Pffft," he mused as he kept watching that face, the grin making him just feel light... then the expression changed, and he felt the way Red's words just ached. That he'd tried and failed in keeping his brother safe, Sans knew that all too well. The pinked tears fell, and he turned away before Sans got the chance to speak up either, hearing how he apologized and pulled away.   
Sans rubbed his own hands together a moment, before taking up another of the silly box-shaped soap bars and a cloth, starting to run the lathered fabric over Red's bones. He didn't say anything for the longest time, just being there and trying to soothe, trying to do even a fraction of what he felt the other had done for him. He didn't think right now would be a good time to bring it up, not when Red still seemed distressed over it... maybe once they had news over the metal, without that weighing him down constantly, maybe then he'd want to talk about it. Sans wanted to listen, to be able to be as much support as he could manage, and anything about Papyrus... he felt he could only relate too well to.   
The water was still steaming, heated by the lava, and he gave a soft chuckle. "Wonder how cheap we could get a place here," he said, feeling like a slight change in subject might help them both, "somewhere neither of us got any baggage attached, so ta speak... place we could make jus ours." Sans didn't know how he'd reacted to that, but... he felt it best to bring up now. To really get them into motion on anything but lingering in one dark place or another.

A soft groan followed the gentle stroking against his bones, his whole body seeming to melt into the motion, his skull leaning forwards onto his chest as he relaxed with that comforting intent flowing through him. He let the silence linger, thinking back to everything that had happened with his brother...   
It had started out so good, but then the fucking Guard took him away and turned a hard monster with a good heart into an empty shell of who he once was, instead filling him with anger and hatred that would have made him a wonderful human-killing machine... if he'd lived long enough to see them.   
Would he have fought Paps, too, if it had come to it? No... he wasn't sure he could even if he wanted to...   
The sound of that soft chuckle made him turn his head and the following question had him raise a brow. A place... all their own. As fresh of a start as either of them could ever hope for.   
"I..." The walls echoed with the sound of a purring growl as he turned back around and wrapped his arms around Sans, pulling their shower-heated bodies close. "I'd like that so much. Just me and you... makin' a life together. Gettin' to wake up to ya next to me every day. Gettin' to see that smile." The shower was beginning to glow a soft red as his soul flared up in his chest.   
"Yeah... yeah, I think we should look into that as soon as we get a chance to. Nothin' too fancy. Somethin' nice and simple... somethin' we could just enjoy some peace in." He let out a heavy sigh and pressed his brow against the other's, letting those warm red lights stare deeply into the much softer whites. "I think I'm beyond ready to just settle down... and I'd love nothin' more than to do that with you, Sansy."

That growl had him beaming, a strong, real smile that almost made his face hurt with how long it'd been since he'd smiled like that. He leaned in and held on to the other skeleton, the monster he just needed to have in his life.   
"Nothin' we'd end up makin' a huge mess with... jus you an me, buddy... hell," he chuckled, nudging his brow in or another kiss against his jawline, "don't think we'd need more'n a room with a bed an junk... kitchen if ya want, them pancakes were pretty good."   
His sockets glimmered with joyful tears, wiping them away as he took a deep, almost sobbing breath as he imagined starting over. The house was too heavy a place for either of them, too many memories, both good and bad, moreso the latter anymore. They needed it, if both of them were going to actually be any kind of stable without constant contact with the other.   
He gave a dry laugh. "Heh... prolly plenty ah options, too..." he said, sounding a bit hollow as he tried to make light of the fact that the underground now had approximately a fifth more room for everyone inside it. He felt like that was the only way he could think of it, without making himself feel worse. If he thought they'd lost so much, he'd begin going down the path of how much he'd let happen... Sans shook his head with a slight noise of discomfort.   
"Fuck'n head," he mumbled, looking down at the wet tiles of the shower before looking up at his companion. His partner, the lover he wanted, almost like a piece of him that had been missing for so long. "C'mon buddy," he said with a chuckled grin, "let's see if we can get Al ta lookit that neck ah yers..." Sans hoped it didn't sound too lighthearted, just not wanting to put more bearing into the metal that seemed to bar them from each other. Wanting to hope it wouldn't be impossible to fix... that he'd never be able to fully express just how dear and wanted Red was.

"Mmmm, we could live in a cave and I wouldn't care... so long as you were there with me, baby." He could see his lover looking into the dark thoughts that plagued him and did his best to rub along his back and nuzzle a few distracting kisses to his face.   
"So ya liked my pancakes, huh? Well, I mean... maybe I could learn to make some other stuff, too. I didn't really do a whole lotta cookin' back home, but... no time like the present to learn, eh? I hear there's books that tell ya how to make the good shit. Might need to hunt down a couple o' those." At the mention of his neck, he lifted his chin and scratched lightly at the warm metal, feeling almost conflicted.   
"Man... once these are gone, I..." He looked dazed by the realization and it was slowly beginning to dawn on his face, tugging at the corner of his mouth as he smiled at Sans. "I'll finally be free. Like... for good." With a happy growl he lifted Sans up in his arms, curling one arm around his back and the other beneath his femurs before pressing him back against the wall. "Free to call you mine. Free to be _aaaall_ yours. And... heh..." He got a deliciously sharky grin on his face as he brought that smooth face closer to his own. "Free ta do whatever I want to ya." A purring growl vibrated into the kiss he pressed to those smooth teeth before finally letting him slide down and turning to shut off the water.   
Once he slipped out, he grabbed what was quite possibly the fluffiest thing he'd ever touched and dried off with the luxurious towel before immediately finding the new king of fluff and wrapping the bathrobe around himself as he waited for Sans to head back to the room.   
"Holy shit this is nice..." He peered around as if they were being watched and he had to be extra sneaky. "...I'm fuckin' keepin' this shit."

He immersed himself in the moment of that kiss, pressed to the wall and bundled around his Red, arms hugging his head in closer as he leaned into him, the way those scarred, marred arms held him made everything else go away for a few seconds longer. Sans missed that warmth the moment Red was gone, the shower having been just superficial to how the other affected his very soul. He gave a heavy _snrk_ as Red discovered and claimed his fluffy prize, having taken the towel with him as well.  
"We can call it a gift," he agreed, chuckling as he worked the soft towel over his own bones, watching the way his companion seemed to be almost infatuated with just how soft something could be. His gaze hit the bed, rumpled and stained in purple with splashes of blue and red along the edges, and he couldn't hold back a rolling bit of chuckling laughter. "Babe, look... w-we redyed the comforter fer em... think they'll like the new color scheme?" he laughed, wiping a tear out of his socket as he slowly calmed down.   
He didn't realize just how good it felt to actually laugh so much at something so absurd. It wasn't even that funny. But he'd needed the laugh, and he grabbed Red by the thick ruff of the bathrobe to pull him in for another kiss.   
"Let's go brighten up Al's day, eh? You already made mine a hell'va good one, Red..." he breathed, taking in the slightly lavender scent of his lover, smirking as he let his bony fingers play with the robe, "an after that... see 'bout getn somethin ta eat. Maybe somewhere's open." He let go of him with some reluctance, but if they were heading out, well, clothes were kind of required.

He purred into the kiss and when he was released, he threw the bathrobe open and pulled Sans into it with him, grinning wide as a cat with a canary. "Mmmm, maybe tonight we'll head back here and work on givin' it that tie-dye effect, yeah? I doubt anyone's gonna be pissed about us needin' a break for a bit. We'll just tell 'em we're gonna look into some different housing and just need a temporary place to stay." He pressed another sweet kiss to those smooth teeth, letting it linger as they stayed enveloped in the warm cloud of a bathrobe.   
"You sure we gotta leave? Pretty sure I could just live up in here with ya." He pulled the robe up over their heads and pulled it further closed until it was a nice, shadowy shelter from the world before he leaned in to kiss him, sweet and long with a teasing amount of tongue. With a sigh, he let the robe fall to the floor and leaned back, one hand brushing across his lover's cheek before he turned to go hunt down his clothes to get dressed.

Humming into that lingeringly sweet kiss before Red moved away, he felt so very glad to have him. That they had each other.   
Once both were dressed, he pocketed the room key and they made their way outside. While he'd imagined it would be subdued, Sans was more surprised at just how quiet it was. Even with some monsters making their way around the Capitol, no one seemed like they wanted to speak. Everyone went at a slightly slow or hurried pace, and by the time anyone seemed like they would acknowledge the two skeletons, they were within sight of the Labs.   
"Shit," he said under his breath, gazing around after having texted Alphys that they were almost there, "it's fuck'n worse than I thought..." His voice was hushed, as if worried he'd make it worse if anyone heard him, and he looked up at Red, waiting and dragging him in by the hand as soon as the doors opened.   
The lizard monster wasn't in the first part, so he pulled Red along with him up to where he knew her personal room was. He at least paused to knock first, before turning the knob and pushing inside, as if getting further away from the monsters outside would make it less real.   
Alphys squeaked when the two of them came in, jolting up and having to grab her glasses to keep them from falling off.  
"S-Sans! I did'n't-" Alphys stopped, getting a good look at both of them, eyes widening as her mouth fell open with a half-choked noise that could be a question or just her attempting to keep breathing. Once the sound stopped, her jaw worked, but nothing came out for several moments before she could stammer.   
"Wha- ... who... S-S-Sans?! What is... how?"

The Underground felt far more alive as they walked along and his eyes lit up to see monsters actually walking about. They looked heartbroken more than anything and it was damn near refreshing after living every day seeing everyone full of fear of one another. At least with knowing the threat was gone, he knew everything would pick back up before long. It would be months before life got back to anything resembling normal for a lot of them, and years before the majority of them would heal from the losses and the fear of what could happen if another human fell down here... but at least they were already trying.   
When they came to a stop, he gave Sans' hand a squeeze, looking at him and processing those words of concern for the state of the Underground and his mouth started to open to tell him everything would be alright, but all that came out was a quiet grunt as he was dragged along. He was itching at his neck as he was dragged into the personal room, but abruptly stopped at the sight of the lizard lady, looking almost as stunned as she was as he took in the sight of this far less psychotic-looking individual.   
"Well... I'll be damned..." He released Sans' hand and slowly moved towards Alphys like one would approach a frightened animal, not wanting to have her run off... but once he was close, he looked her over shamelessly before beginning to circle around, his head tipping to the side as his grin spread across his face. Finally, he came to a stop right in front of her, his smile turning a bit more charming as he let his hands come to a rest in his pockets, those bright red eyes sparkling as he watched her face in anticipation.   
"You're _way_ cuter than the crazy broad back home."

With that scarred monster approaching, she seemed to curl back into the messy couch, tail flicking around her drawn-in ankles, snout dropping shyly. She flushed, deep orange with that slight tinge of pink, as Red's words got to her, and her hands slid up to cover her face, making a squeaky little noise. Sans gave it a moment, then went over to her rescue with a low chuckle, clapping a hand on his companion's shoulder.   
"Alphys, this is Red..." he started, waiting until he saw one of her small black eyes peeking out from behind her claws, "he's from another universe."   
Her sharp intake of breath went right with her head popping up, looking alert and fascinated, gaze going completely analytical as she started looking Red over. She was mumbling to herself as she did, moving off the couch to circle him, lifting one of his hands to examine it, and she seemed to pause as she realized what she was doing, sputtering an apology as she backed up another step.  
"S-sorry! Ah, um... oh dear..." she wrung her claws together in front of her, and Sans waved a hand, trying to calm her down.  
"Al, calm down, it's okay. We, uh... we kinda figured you'd be uh... enthused."  
"How'd he get here?!"  
"Not sure, the human was uh... reloading, I think... but it like, misfired or somethin got crossed somewhere, and," he motioned to Red, "here he is."  
"You haven't had any negative effects have you?" Alphys asked, starting back into that slow inspective circling, though she was sure not to touch again yet, "anything with your magic, or physical state? C-compared to Sans you're about ten percent bigger," she started into those sorts of notations, as if writing them all down in her head, though with it just being a visual check, she was more of mumbling to herself about a lot of various things. Sans grinned at his partner, looking at his crimson eyelights, asking if he was doing alright.

"Yeah, apparently my magic's on the fritz. I can still do my low-level stuff, but the higher-end magic's a no-go." He watched her as she moved around him, showing just as much curiosity about her as she did of him. When Sans caught his eyes, he grinned and shot him a wink to tell him he was doing just fine, then turned his attention to the lizard monster again when she mentioned his size.  
"I'd say I'm at least fifty percent bigger in less visible areas." His grin was downright dirty as he watched her face again, waiting to catch her eyes before wagging his eyebrows teasingly before his shoulders started shaking with stifled laughter.   
"Sorry, Sansy, couldn't resist." He covered his face with one hand as he tried to calm himself back down from his amusement and turned to look around the room in curiosity, while also giving her a chance to recover from any embarrassments his comment might have created.   
"Ha! You're into that anime shit, too? Used to watch it with the Al back home sometimes. It's good shit. I always did like the kitty girls." He let out a purring growl and turned back to the other two with a smirk. "I wonder what other similarities cross the timelines?"

It'd seemed Sans had needed the assurance that he was doing fine to really let that tenseness out of how he had been holding himself, shoulders loosening into a lazy droop. Then Red had to go and be a perv, and both of the smaller monsters made surprised noises, Sans flushing and Alphys squeaking as her hands covered her snout. Luckily his pause to laugh gave them both the chance to smooth back out.   
"That's playn dirty, buddy," Sans huffed, though the quirk of a grin at the corner of his mouth said more than his tone or crossed arms.   
Alphys was whimpering, rubbing along her headspikes as she took several long breaths. Then he said anime, and she seemed to brighten. As if he had said just what she had needed to help push her out of shyness. Then he teased and she made a squeal of indignation.  
"Th-thats not... um... I mean..." her voice dropped, trying to clear her throat before tugging at her coat, straightening up a little, "i-i-if you want, we can watch some. After I get you l-looked... over..." she devolved back into shy noises as she realized how she sounded.   
"Oh, stars..." Alphys whimpered to herself, and Sans cut back in.  
"Cmon Red... lets get ya set on an examination table. Be good an I'll let ya have one a those fancy paper dresses."


	11. A Lack of Information

"What? And miss the chance to see if she can do the chameleon thing where they change into a whole new color?" The shy whimpering had him grinning ear to ear and when he turned to go hunt for a clean table, he let his hand graze over her head in a comforting gesture. Just like Sans, she needed the distraction. Distraction from the shitstorm that had blown through and taken away everything they held dear and he'd be lying if he said he didn't have a soft spot for the crazy scientist back home. Brutal as she'd been, she'd also been hilarious and he'd made a game to see if he could get past the death threats and make her blush. That game was way easier with this one, but just as satisfying to behold. Once they found a table, he considered it for a moment before slipping his jacket off his shoulders and whipping it around to hang around his companion's, hoping it wasn't entirely too heavy for him. Next came his shirt, which he tossed onto Sans' head with a playful grin before he hopped up to sit on the table with his feet dangling. He looked to Alphys and wiggled his brows as he let his voice drop into a sensually low growl. "I can take off the pants, too, if ya want." _Wink_.

The comforting slide of a hand had her draw in a breath, leaning forward with a soft sound, almost shuddering as she took the gesture in, helping to calm down. It always did, and Sans was glad to see it before he was being utilised as a clothes rack. Tugging the shirt off his head, he mumbled a soft curse at Red alongside a smirk of his own. Alphys snorted at the growl, but when she actually turned to take in his heavily marred form.... the look in her eyes was an almost indescribable mix. Her claws went first to the nearest missing ribs, her voice low and soft. "How did..." Then she checked him. She hadn't thought to before, and as she took in the LV alongside his other stats, her tone went even quieter. "I'm sorry," she said, then went to running her claws lightly over the larger scarring, taking note of the potentially weakest points and continuing the exam. When she reached his arms, she looked over the poor setting, but the body functioned and seemed that rebreaking and proper setting would cause more damage than good. "Seventeen breaks between the two of them," Alphys mumbled to herself, looking up at Reds face before squeaking, looking down again. Her hands held his wrist a moment, and she let go to clear her throat. "Sso you can summon attacks? But th-the teleporting... yyouve tried? Whwhat happens?"

"Heh. My universe ain't so civil as it seems to be here. Every monster out for themselves. Couldn't trust anyone. Even family." He lifted his chin and ran the tips of his fingers over the embedded metal before letting her look over his arms, watching her closely as she seemed to memorize every break and scar and gouged out bone. His brows rose as she looked at him and squeaked and that grin softened into a thoughtful smile before he lifted his gaze to the ceiling in thought. "Hmmm... It was kinda like... you know that sound that happens when ya get a microphone too close to the speaker? It was like getting that feedback screeching inside of my skull. I dunno if it's gonna be a permanent thing or not, but I, uh... been a bit hesitant to try it out again, y'know?" He brought those bright eyes back down on her as his hand reached up to scratch at the metal again. "But really, I'm more concerned about gettin' this shit outta my neck. My fuckin' brother found some way to control me beyond the grave, persistent bastard. Seems anytime I try to, ah... get close to someone... they start heatin' up and causin' as much pain as possible all over. Doesn't help that his voice seems to be permanently embdedded in my head for a constant commentary on what a disgrace I am." He gave a heavy sigh and dug one of the sharp edges of his broken fingertip into the are just around the metal spike in an attempt to tug it out a bit.

Alphys looked at the metal, seeming to be somewhat more comfortable with something that wasnt organic... not surprising, since she enjoyed having designed and maintained Mettatons body. Unlike Sans, she wasnt stupid enough to go poking at it bare-handed, instead she asked them to give her a moment and hustled off. Sans rubbed that heavily scarred arm when they were left alone, making sure his voice didn't carry. "She's takin it pretty well... maybe jus what she needed. You holdn up okay, Red?" His hand went to run along his scapula and shoulder, slow strokes that let him slide his fingers along his spine on occasion.  
"I-I'll need to get some readings," she called as she pushed a small cart through the door, several assorted instruments piled into it, "see what I'm dealing with..." It took her a bit, but once she had things sorted, she showed Red the small metal clamps attached to several lengths of wire. Almost like a multiheaded jumper cable. "Ththese attach to what they can of the metal, and itll let me get some readings on their magic. Aaand then I need to see what the sizes are, and what all I might be able tto do. It could take awhile... bbut Im guessing ththat removing them is the end goal?"

His lover's concern had him chuckling quietly and leaning over to slip his hand behind the other's neck, pulling him in close for a quick little kiss. "I'm doin' great. What about you? Dealin' alright with the flirtin'?" His grip loosened as he heard the clicking of claws on tile and he sat up just as the yellow lizard made her way back into the room, his body tensing a bit at the sight of the tools, but he willed himself to relax by reminding himself that playing doctor in this universe shouldn't be nearly as terrifying. "Hmmmm..." He ran his fingers over the metal that sat relatively flush against the bone of his neck while looking voer the clamps, trying to think of how they could get them attached. So far, every option sounded increasingly painful... not that he was entirely opposed to it. "Well, I'm sure we can wedge them around the edges or... pull the spikes out a bit to get a better hold of 'em." He took a deep breath and let his hands fall to the side of the table, gripping it lightly as he watched her intently with his softly glowing lights. "Unless you can just get rid of whatever magic they've got ingrained in there, yeah, definitely wanna get this shit out. You know how frustratin' it is havin' a dick and an eager partner and not bein' able to fuck 'im?" Quick as lightning that dirty grin was back on his face as he tipped his chin up to give her all the access she needed to get to the metal.

"Heh, yeah," he said, having managed to shift a kiss against his cheekbone before the cart made it's way in. Watching was Red contemplated the metal bits, he wondered if it would cause any injury to even attempt pulling them out any. Alphys hummed as the scarred skeleton spoke, but turned a violent shade of dark orange when he grinned at her. She covered her face in both hands, rubbing with soft squeals as Sans was chuckling, moving over to pat her on the back.  
"W-w-w-well I... I c-can, um... I can try. O-once we get some data..." Alphys took the clamps and nudged them close against the curved metal, dark crimson sparks flaring up when they touched, but settled once the clamps got a decent, if tiny, grip, and she shivered as she looked at the tentative connection. She hadn't plugged it to the sensors yet, wanting to get the ends of the metal covered first. "T-try not to move, it m-might knock any th-these loose and I'll have to try again," she said after the last one sparked into place. All four ends were secured, and she took up the lines to bind them to one central cord before taking it over ot the main point for the machine.

Giving it a moment, she went over to fiddle with the instrument, turning a few dials and then flicking several switches on. The machine hummed to life, making low clicks and some whirring, and Alphys watched as a printout started, full of numbers and symbols that, at first glance, might not make any sense. It was about a half page along before the pop of a blowing fuse caught her attention. Her claws pulled a panel away, showing the smoking little glass tube alongside two others, and they were going like mad. "Oh," she said, and before she could add anything else, the other two fuses broke, and everything shut down in a high-pitched whine. Coughing away from the fumes of the blown fuses, the lizard monster looke dover to see that the clamps had turned black where they touched the metal on Red's neck, and as she pulled them off with a gentle tug, checked over the melted wires. They wouldn't be worth using again. "Oh..." she said again, bundling up the ruined items and shoving them aside on the cart. She pulled off what had printed, looking over it with an increasingly wrinkled snout. "I'll need to find something tougher to get better readings," Alphys finally said after looking silently at the paper for a handful longer, "this just tells me a little bit."  
"Uh... mind sharing that lil bit, though?" Sans asked, feeling increasingly nervous as the day had hardly yielded anything for them. She scratched her headspines, looking at the paper.  
"Well, it's very well keyed," she said, though she knew that much had been quite obvious, "it reacts to anything alive that isn't Red... it reads magic and soul signatures, basically. There's a lot of power behind it, too, but... I can't tell whose magic. L-like, it doesn't make sense for it to be someone who is uh... n-not here. It'd need, um... like some kinda replenishing, probably daily..."  
"So it's using his own magic to keep it working?" Sans asked, looking at the metal inserts, and noting the slight nod the othe rmonster gave.  
"Y-yeah, I'm assuming... b-but I can't be sure how easy it could be to remove w-without more tests."

There was a soft screeching noise as the burning that had been just a gentle prickle at first began to feel like a searing poker in his neck, slowly spreading through his body, though he tried to show no signs of the pain he was in... but just before that first fuse blew, his toes began to curl and his breathing got heavy and once attention was drawn away from himself and to the machine, he let out a soft gasp, his eyelights rolling up into his skull until the clamps were tugged away. "Hnnn~!" He couldn't help but whine at the jerking motion that, even done gently, had him leaning towards the motion as if he were back on a leash, his face looking as heated as the rest of him felt and the look in his eyes was begging Alphys for something he, in his right mind, would be quite certain she'd refuse. And as his right mind began to come back to reality, he quickly sat up and looked away, clearing his throat and turning his attention to the paper as Sans spoke of it. When they spoke of his brother's magic using his own power against him, he groaned and leaned back on a hand while the other lifted to his neck, scratching around the black marks the clamps had left on the bone. "Fuckin' asshole, he would do that shit. Wonder if it's connected to his LV or some shit." He slipped the hand up to his socket, rubbing at it with annoyance before beginning to scratch at the long crack that ran over his skull. "So, of course my fuckin' magic fizzes out, but _his_? Nah. Still workin' like a fuckin' charm. Fantastic."

"W-well I'll n-need to look more," she said, and perhaps it had been best she'd not seen the look Red had given her. Sans had seen it, and he'd already put together that his doppleganger may have had more than just a teasing interest in his own version of the scientist. He'd talk to him about it later, he figured, when it wouldn't be as awkward for her. Instead he focused on trying to think of whatever he could right now, since Alphys was adamant that she'd need tim eto find better equipment to run more checks on the scarred skeleton.  
"Yer sure there's nothin else ya can do right now, Al?" he asked after she'd finsihed checking over the little machine, which it seemed to need repairs now. She shook her head, making a soft noise of shy regret.  
"N-no, I need to find thicker wire, and bigger fuses... I know there's something down... um... down in the basement, that should work. I'll just... just have to get it set up." Sans made a soft noise, looking over at Red with the kind of shrug that was half apology, half hopeful. _Maybe she can figure somethin out with the other one..._  
"Sorry ta be a bother, then," Sans said in a tired tone, one that had her wringing her claws as she shook her head a little.  
"N-no, I'm... I'm glad you visited. It's been quiet."

"Well, if ya need any help, I used ta help my Al back home down in the basement. Creepy ass place. You got the... ah... freaky blob things down there, too?" He lifted a brow as he slid from the table, looking over at it and taking note of the dents where his fingers had been before moving to Sans to take his clothing back, slipping into it with a heavy sigh. "It has been _way_ too quiet... place like this should have way more noise. Maybe you should find some good music. It ain't much, but uh... I used ta do it all the time back home... when... the quiet got too loud, ya know?" He gave her a reassuring smile as he adjusted the hood of his jacket, then looked over to his lover with a warmer grin. "So, where we goin' for lunch, Sansy? Ya got anywhere in mind or we just gonna wander around? See what all's open... if... ya know... _anything_?"

At the mention of the 'freaky blob things', Alphys went a little quieter, looking ashamed as she mussed with her coat, but made a sound of agreement as he mentioned the music. Sans gave her a reassuring grin, patting her shoulder a few times. "Yeah, uh... the Amalgamates. You need more food for em yet? I know ya don't like gettin' it yerself..." he said, and it seemed to perk her up a bit.  
"I-I've got enough for the rest of the week, i-if you want to get them some. W-with getting things set back up, it might take a couple days to... get the machines working for more tests... f-for Red."  
"Okay, Al. You want us to come over, you've got my number," he said, giving her a rub on the headspines, just for a moment, before he went over an took Red's hand, trying to not make the goodbye linger for now. He figured Alphys might want to get some time to herself now, since she seemed to be getting quieter with them. He walked with the other skeleton over to the main area, and move din a bit closer, just to not raise his voice any. "Maybe see about goin out to the dump before we visit again too, see if we find anythin for her." By the time they were back out in the heat, he was still pondering over what all they -had- gleaned. Even though it was pretty much what they'd already assumed, though with the possibility of Red's own magic being directed into reinforcing the metal. When they did get to the actually busy area of the Capitol, there were a couple places that might be open, the scent of food coming over to them along with some sounds that would be considered 'regular urban noise'. "Well, looks like we got a choice, babe."

"See ya 'round, Al." He peered back over his shoulder as they left, feeling a tug at his soul over the thought of leaving her alone with her thoughts. With a soft sigh, he shoved his free hand into his pocket and gave the one wrapped around his lover's a squeeze as they made their way out, lifting a brow at the mention of the dump. "Oh yeah? You sure we shouldn't just invite her to come with us? If she's anythin' like _my_ Al, she'll stay cooped up in her lab forever if she's left alone... but she usually had Undyne draggin' her out for somethin' or other." He gave a heavier sigh as they actually made it outside and his gaze seemed to shift a million miles off into the distance as he lapsed into his thoughts, his face a smiling mask that was only shattered when he caught scent of food and felt his non-stomach rumbling. "Mmmph. Think we can find somethin' meaty? Haven't had anythin' substantial in so fuckin' long." He let go of Sans' hand and slipped his arm around his shoulders instead, squeezing him close and leaning in to brush his fangs against his cheek before whispering teasingly. "Well, I mean, except for _you_ , of course."

Sans chuckled, shaking his head a bit. "Al likes ta try spend'n as much time with them as she can... thinks it might help em get stable enough ta come out," he said, though once he seemed to space out, he left him to his thoughts for a bit, unsure what to say. He'd of liked for a little more to have given, but... well, he still had Red, and that's what mattered most. The smaller of the pair gave a low chuckle as he teased, hooding his left eye shut in a cheeky, elongated sort of wink. "Mmm, dunno babe... think you can handle it?" Sans felt that irritated presence, just at the edge of his consciousness, and sighed with something almost like a growl. He wondered how long that annoyance would be part of their daily routine, because he certainly wasn't going to stifle any of his affections for Red, regardless of how loud or disconcerting that snarling aura got. Sans could deal with it if Red could, and he leaned in to press a soft kiss against the sharp corner of that mouth. When they edged closer to one of the food-scented buildings, they were greeted by a single young server, looking like this was probably their first job. She looked like she was related to snowdrakes, but with soft yellow feathers and sleek green scales along her lean, lizard-like tail. She took them over to one of the few tables, and handed them a single-page menu, explaining they had only a few things for the first couple weeks whihle they were getting everything sorted. Sans gave her a smile when she seemed actually hopeful, to actually be trying to push any negativity aside and be as cheerful as possible.

The larger skele was practically purring at the affection and while his hand toyed with the front of his lover's shirt, his eyes couldn't tear away from his face, that look of affection nearly palpable. The slight trance was broken when he heard the younger monster's voice and he turned to give her a smile as they were seated, letting his gaze scan over the menu before peeking up at Sans again with those same love-lorn eyes. His head turned when it sounded like he'd been asked a question and he noticed the girl was looking expectantly at him. "Ah, shit, s-sorry. Musta... musta spaced a bit." He looked back down at the menu, his face growing increasingly red until he finally held the menu back up to her. "Cheeseburger and fries sounds nice. Extra mustard, if ya can." He let his gaze flicker up to her before returning to stare at the table where the menu had been, the look on his face a testament to how wild his thoughts were running in his head.  
Zeryxis - 05/13/2017  
"Same, ketchup instead," Sans chuckled, and the girl hurried off to get their orders put in. he leaned on a hand, looking at Red with a grin that likely said he was pretty sure he had an idea what that look had been about, though he didn't go for that subject quite yet. "Mustard, huh? Sounds like ya like a bitta spice, Red," he teased, looking him over with a soft smile. His other hand slid over to find and lace fingers with one of his, voice dropping a little, considering there were a few other monsters in the area. Not enough to fill the room, but enough to have him quiet down a bit. "You looked like ya had some thoughts, babe... wanna share?"  
Panty Anarchist - 05/13/2017  
"Heh, you know it." His own voice sounded subdued and the blush intensified on his face when he laced fingers with him, his head shifting down into the collar of his jacket when he was asked about his thoughts. Those bright eyes peered off to the side for a bit as he thought about how to phrase his thoughts, one of his feet kicking over in the process and gently nudging against the front of one of those fluffy pink slippers. When he finally turned his gaze back to the skeleton across the table, he had a shy smile on his face and there was a curious twinkle in his eyes. "Well... I just... I've... n-never done this before..." He looked around at the other monsters in the room before turning back to Sans, his smile even brighter now. "Like... goin' out, it... feels kinda like a date. I've never... y'know... had the chance to...t-to be affectionate out in public an' shit, neither." His gaze turned to their hands and he squeezed them together a little more tightly before his other hand came up to try and hide his face. "Man, I sound like a complete fuckin' idiot."  
Zeryxis - 05/13/2017  
He'd smirked as he'd felt that light kick against his slipper, watching the way Red looked as he spoke, enjoying the look in his eyelights as that smile grew. His fingers returned the squeeze, then he had to chuckle as he seemed to go all shy. It was goddamn adorable. "Nah, sounds bout right," he said, still leaning against the palm not holding his hand, "not like I'm gonna pass up any chance I get ta let you know how much I care about ya, Red. An don't mind no one else..." Sans paused as the waitress returned, balancing a tray in both hands as she settled it right agaisnt the table to set their orders in place. She even brought them each a few packets of their chosen condiments, as well as what had been added to the burgers. She lingered a moment, then seemed to realize she didn't have to, and thanked them before hurrying off again with a light flush. Sans smirked, taking one of the packets to put ketchup on his fries. "Everyone's jus try'n to get goin again, right? So they won't be mind'n other's business too much yet." He shifted the burger - noticing that neither of them had tomato, but at least it seemed they tried to make up for it with extra cheese, likely just another hiccup in the supply for the entire underground right now - and looked at the hand holding Red's, then his burger again. "Shit, why ya gotta make me choose," he said, giving his lover a wink before both got their hands free to actually get to eat.  



	12. Hotel Room Redux

As Sans spoke of showing his affection every chance he got, Red was slowly sinking further into his jacket with a soft whine, only one of those bright eyes watching past his fingers until their food finally showed up. He'd never been so thankful to see a plate of food in his life, giving him something to focus on besides his mounting embarassment over how inexperienced he was at expressing himself. He snorted at his lover's conflict, but shared his reluctance to let go. "Heh. My hand'll still be here after the food's gone, so I ain't worried about it." Within a few seconds of being released, those packets were torn open and covering the burger... and the leftovers were opened and spread onto his tongue one at a time, the soft groans following his swallowing damn near pornographic... at least he had the good sense to be quiet about it. "Fuck, it's been a minute since I had that. Forgot how good it tingles." He licked at his fangs and got started on his burger, his noises getting increasingly improper as he absolutely anhiliated the food with those sharp teeth. Once finished he rested his head on the table with a satisfied grin, idly picking up his fries and shoving a couple at a time in his mouth. "Heheh... fuuuck... you still sure you wanna stick around with me?" His tongue rolled out to lick a bit of mustard from the corner of his mouth before he peered around, feeling his cheeks tint with red as he noticed a few glances and whispers being directed his way. "Pretty sure you could do way better."

He seemed to enjoy the way that burger seemed to get Red going, smirking between his own bites of food to just appreciate the noises he made. Even if they were quieted down, he just grinned all the wider once he let out that sigh, polishing off his own meal before he even seemed to remember there - _was_ \- anyone else there. He side-eyed the nearest table that seemed to be talking behind their hands, his own moving back over to slide a finger up the middle of Red's face before settling his palm atop his head. "Yeah, I'm sure. Best I've been in a long time, Red," he said in a low voice, pushing the few fries he had left aside and fold his arms on the table, lowering his head about even with the other's skull. He gazed at the other for a few minutes before his sockets hooded, almost dreamy in the way he was watching that flushed, scarred face, wanting so much to just say how much he'd fallen in love with him. But agian, that persistant bother of everything falling apart had him leave it unspoken. "Wanna go walk around a bit more b'fore we get back to the room? Might be able ta find a place sell'n booze, since we wiped out most ah what we had on hand."

When he caught sight of that dreamy face, his own flushed deeper and tipped down as her wrapped an arm around it so only the top half of his skull was visible. "Mmm." He gave a slight nod before calming his soul and sitting up to finish off his food. "Yeah, I... I think that'd be nice. And hell, maybe we'll get a lead on a good area for us to move to. Nobody knows a city like the locals, y'know." With a satisfied groan, he lifted out of his seat and hunted around in his jacket before pulling out his purse and laying down enough to cover their meal, giving a grin and a wink to their waitress as he put down a little extra for her and put his money away. Once Sans was out of his seat, his hand found its mate and laced their fingers together in such a perfectly fitting way it had him looking down at their connection to smile. "I can say without a doubt... this is the best I've ever been..." His eyes turned up to that smooth face and he lifted their hands until the other's knuckles were pressed against his persistent grin. "All thanks to you, sweetheart." Those bright lights sparkled as he watched his lover, letting the kiss linger before he heard a few whispers and 'awws' that had him blushing and looking away. "A-anyways... let's see about findin' some of that booze, eh?" He shoved his free hand into his coat and led the other back out onto the street, unable to stifle the bright smile that seemed to have everyone else's faces lighting up a bit just at the sight of it.

Sans let the other lead him from the sight of other monsters, grinning at how embarassed he seemed to get from the attention. His fingers queezed around the larger ones, walking next to him with an unfading smile on his face. With it being later in the day, going towards evening, they didn't run across many others out and about, but he did see some advertisements for a shop that they could probably get drinks and information from. Sans didn't want to just pick up the phone and call the King... bad enough he even had a direct number to him. Bad enough he had the responsibilty of Judge, and bad enough he'd failed spectacularly at it... Sans shook his head with a grunt, tugging himself closer to Red and fighting back the thoughts trying to overtake him. His thumb rubbed along the back of Red's hand, taking some slow breaths as he looked up at the crimson eyelights. Even with the aura that seemed to seep out of those metal pieces, the larger skeleton had him steady. He quirked the corne rof his mouth up. "So, I'm think'n we get just as loaded as last night, because if I know me, then you are a fun drunk, buddy," he said, chuckling as they made their way into the store. It looked like supplies were still a bit hung up, being several shevles were picked clean, but they weren't totally out of luck. When he saw the bottles, he snatched up one of mustard and wagged it towards his lover with a grin. "Heh, wonder what booze would go best with this," he commented, also getting a ketchup bottle before moving along to the next of the four aisles.

Red seemed to sense the tension even before he felt that thumb on the back of his hand and he turned with a softer smile to look at his companion, pausing to lean over and press a kiss to his cheek before they made their way inside. "Man, if I didn't know any better, I'd think you were tryin' to get me nice and sauced so you could take advantage of me." _Not that I'd mind that in the least._ A gentle growl rumbled in his chest as he followed Sans along the shelves, marvelling at how much there was to choose from in comparison to most places back home. He noticed some parts looked messier than others and couldn't help but wonder if maybe they'd been robbed... which would mean this wasn't even all they usually had to offer. He came out of his thoughts as the mustard was wiggled in front of him and he pulled his other hand from his pocket to snatch it away and rub it lovingly against his cheek. "Brown liquor. Brandy was always especially nice with it, but hell, I'll drink just about anything. Though it would be nice to drink some _real_ booze tonight. I drank water back home that had more kick than that fruit cocktail we had goin' last night." He looked over the rest of the selection as he toyed with the cap on his bottle, happily clicking it open and shut until he spied the familiar shine of glass at the end of an aisle near the counter. "Well, well, well, what do we have here?" He eyed over the selection carefully before pulling down a big bottle of whiskey with an excited grin. "Now _this_ looks like fun!"

He couldn't help but _tsk_ at his playful comment on the fruity cocktails. "Hey, ya weren't complain'n when we were drink'n it," he said with a chuckle, fingers toying with the hand in his until Red was giving that tall glass bottle a look that almost had Sans ask if he wanted some time alone with it. He laughed, loosening his grip on that hand to push the bottles around, finding a smaller one of brandy that he presented with a grin. "Lookit what they got for your mustard shots, babe," he said, turning back again to see what other little alcoholic treasures he could fish out. Most of it was the cocktail flavorings they'd draine din abundance last night, but alongside the large whisky and brandy, he uncovered another bottle of whiskey and some rum. He did pick a couple of the lighter drinks, just for the hell of it. "Maybe the cashier'll have some idea on housin' too," he commented as he was looking over a selection of microwave stuff. He took the popcorn and some ramen that eh knew Alphys would approve of, tipping his head a bit to the side as he snugged his selection in one arm. "This should hold us fer the night, ya think?"

"Y'know, I'm not sure if monsters can die of alchohol poisoning, but you seem determined to find out the answer." He gave a less than dignified snort before leading the way up to the front counter to set his precious bottles down, looking over the selection before turning his gaze up to the brown rabbit behind the counter who was looking at the booze with a far too understanding look on his face. "Hey, buddy. You live around here?" The question seemed to bring the furry creature out of a daze and he lifted his tired-looking eyes to meet Red's before nodding.  
"Yeah, just down the street actually... why?" He looked a bit nervous at divulging the information to someone who looked liked they might kill monsters for a living.  
"Eh, me and my, ah..." His face lit up as he was suddenly stumped on what to say the other was, but he was quick to clear his throat in an attempt to recover. "I mean, we're just lookin' around to see if there's any good places to move to in the city... decided... ah... Snowdin's just not our kinda town, y'know?" He gave the cashier a significant look and the fuzzy bunny's face darkened a bit as he nodded and sighed.  
"Y-yeah, I... I get that. The area around here isn't bad if you don't mind the noise, but there's an area off to the east end that's not quite so crowded if you're wanting a good transitional area." He gave a bit of a shrug and gave them their total before bagging up their order and giving them a weak smile once it was paid for. "Hope you guys... have a...nice day." By the end his voice was trailing off and it was apparent he was sinking into his own dark thoughts, that face making Red's soul clench all over again. _He musta lost someone, too... fuck... maybe everyone._

The conversation with the rabbit monster had Sans quiet again, fiddling with the corner of his paper bag as he seemed to think the same as his companion, but he was shit at trying to think of what to say. _Hey, sorry you lost probably your entire family! My lil brother died, so I know how it feels._ He snorted sourly, having been glad to leave the shop, hoping that the rabbit manages to survive past the grief. His soul shuddered before he really let it get a grip, and he hadn't realized the sound he'd made in his throat before he could take Red's hand again. It felt like today had taken him through the spectrum of emotions, and damned if that hadn't tired him out. "Well, at least we can go look'n fer places t'morrow, east end he said?" Sans asked as they approached the hotel. It was still relatively dark, but he could see that others seemed to have gotten the same idea, if the flickers of soft lights in some visible windows were any indication. It was quiet, too, so likely it may have been displaced monsters refusing to go back to their broken lives elsewhere. Sans knew exactly how that felt. If it weren't for the fact the place was _saturated_ with memories of Papyrus, his laziness might have just tempted him to stick to the house in Snowdin. But he needed to get away from it. As if staying there would drag him under, regardless of if Red was there or not.

"Yeah, I'm sure we'll find somethin' that fits up like a glove." He gave the other's hand a squeeze and walked close enough that they'd bump into each other on occasion, though he tried to keep it to a minimum, wanting to save most of that close contact for the hotel. Once they were inside, he felt a strange sense of relaxation... like coming home after a long day and getting to actually sit down and rest. But this wasn't home, was it? He followed along until they got to the door of "their" room, his eyes lingering on the other skele as he opened the door and his mouth curled up into a soft grin. _Anywhere's home, so long as he's there with me._ Once inside, he wasted no time in slipping his arms around the smaller monster and burying his face into his neck, growling softly as he kissed along the bone and squeezed him. "Stars, Sansy... Even holdin' hands with ya all day... it still feels like I haven't touched ya nearly enough." He held him close and left his face buried there, going quiet as he simply enjoyed the scent of his lover and the feel of him wrapped in those arms like he belonged there. After letting out a heavy breath, he let him go to set the bag down, taking his own time to slip out of his coat and shoes, kicking them over by the door before walking over to join the other and snatch his mustard bottle back up to enjoy a few sips. "So, where should we start tonight, baby? I'll let you pick."

Being enveloped in Red's arms... everything he'd been mulling over just faded out. Leaving him in peace with the occasional low growl the only sound that broke the silence, hooding his sockets shut and letting himself just - _be_ -. That heavy breath had him glance back, but he smiled as Red dressed down, and he shrugged his own blue jacket off, leaving his slippers whever they ended up. Some of the more nagging thoughts, like the brown rabbit and the bird monster working her first job, came back, but Red's voice drowned them out, and he took up his ketchup as well as a packet of popcorn. The small microwave was hidden under the bar, and he spoke up as he took it around. "Well, could start with try'n some shots with these," Sans had left the ketchup bottle on the bar counter over him while he made she the popcorn was going properly, "get it where ya can feel me summore," his head popped up to wink at his companion, chuckling and diving back down when the beeps went off. The fake-butter and corn scent rose up in the room as he pulled the bag free and dumped it into a shallow bowl. The puffy hot popcorn heaped up high, and he moved over to sit on the stupidly fancy little table that was hardly big enough to be called a table, after having moved the small vase of fake flowers off to a side. "An I wonder how deep in these bottles we get b'fore you're tak'n advantage ah me..." Sans teased, bringing over a pair of shot glasses and the brandy.

The smell of the popcorn made him groan, though he was still feeling plenty stuffed from their dinner... not to mention there was something on that table that was looking _far_ more appetizing. With a devious little grin on his face, he moved the popcorn out of the way, then the booze and shots before he slid a knee up beside his lover and rested his arms on his shoulders as he looked down into those soft white eyes. "Aw, baby, we don't even hafta open 'em for me to start takin' advantage." He leaned down and brought his mouth tantalizingly close to Sans', leaning back if he leaned in, then slipping off to the side, one hand moving to shift his collar off to the side to expose more of his shoulder to kiss on before working his way up his neck, ignoring that delicious burn in his neck. _'He's just using you to get over his grief. Granted, you always were a wonderful distraction when needed.'_ The kisses paused as that voice broke through and created a moment of doubt... _No... he... he **loves** me. And I love **him** , so fuck off._ A deep, rumbling growl echoed in his chest as he opened his mouth to wrap those fangs against the side of his neck, holding it tight as his tongue wiggled teasingly between his vertebrae before he finally released him and shifted his body away to grab the bottle of brandy and twist it open. "Buuut it'll still be a lot easier to ignore certain factors of annoyance with a lil booze in our systems, eh?"

Having Red take up a spot on his lap, the smaller of the pair slid his hands up the sides of his ribs, fingers trailing in soft and light against that fabric as he kept that bright crimson gaze. His breath caught as the kiss was teasingly redirected, grip tightening in the shirt as those sharp teeth made themselves known against his neck, joined by that growl that seemed both warning and possessive. As if snarling away a certain presence that made itself well known when Sans had the thought to notice it. Like it was lurking just out of reach, watching with disapproving malice. With Red off his lap, it just quieted a little, and he gave a nod of agreement. "Yeah... much easier when all I can think about is you," he said, shifting over to put a dollop of thier favored condiments in a shot glass each, then putting them over for the added bite of booze, giving his companion what he hoped was an assuring grin. When the shots were ready, he lifted one and offered the little glass. "To Al figurin' how ta get those out," he said, clicking his glass to the other and taking the shot. He wasn't so sure ketchup went with brandy, but hell, he wanted to drink enough to forget that Red was bascially wearing a shock collar that went off any time he touched him. To not feel that angry screeching at the edges of his consciousness telling him he was a thief for taking what wasn't is. _He's only as much mine as he wants to be..._ Sans put the empty shot glass down for another dose of brandy, trying not to think of that lingering presence. "Jus a guess... but you seem ta have had a good time flirt'n with Al today, too. If I was the jealous type I'd be turn'n green, babe."

He let out a hiss at the taste of the shot, but grinned and licked his mouth as the burn began to fade. Just as he was pouring his next shot, Sans' words caught him by surprise and sent a bit of the booze over the edge as he flinched. "Ah, y-yeah... sorry 'bout that..." As he was mopping up the mess, he looked to his lover to gauge how pissed he was about the situation, even if he _did_ say he wasn't the jealous type... but he honestly didn't look incredibly put off. "I, ah.... might have had a thing for, y'know... _my_ Al... Nothin' ever happened, though... Undyne and Boss made sure o' that." He sighed and took a seat on the floor in front of Sans and looked at his shot glass for a long while befor eknocking it back and letting out another soft hiss. "And today, just..." He let out a heavy sigh. "She looked so sad and I just... I guess I just wanted to distract her from it, like I did you. N-not that... I would do anythin' like, y'know... _we've_ done... I... I-I wouldn't do that to ya." He fiddled with his shot glass for another long moment of silence before pouring himself another drink from the bottle.

Sans flinched as his little comment seemed to have a worse impact than he'd imagined, having more of just wanted to poke a little fun at his lover about it. "Hey, really, I'm not..." he paused a moment, trying to figure out how to put it, "I'm not worried about that. I'm glad ya wanted ta help her out. Al's one of the only friends I got." As Red took another shot after the silence, he took the glass away, filling it with a mustard shot as he spoke. "I trust ya, Red. I know ya wouldn't. An, really, I'm not upset, either. I could kinda tell, yknow. You had this look on yer face, like you were kinda relivin' an old memory. One ya actually liked." Handing him the shot glass, he took his ketchup one and smiled, almost sad. "I know Al had a lil crush on me at one point. I felt worse that I had to make her sad by not feel'n the same, but... well, when Undyne an Mettaton got her focus, it seemed like she didn't even think twice about it. She was actually - _happy_ \- with Undyne, even if she didn't get to spend as much time with her as she'd of liked. Guard duties an shit." Sans knocked back his shot. Still not that great, so he decided to just go right with plain brandy for now. He opened his mouth, as if to say more, but he quieted, swallowing the booze before shifting again, sitting with his legs settled over Red's, leaning back a bit. "An... jus so ya know, Red... if... if we can't do anythin, bout the metal..." his voice dropped, hand tracing along the empty edge of the glass, "it'll be okay. I'm jus glad you're here. That I can be here with ya."


	13. Jealousy

His gaze stayed locked on the shot once it was handed back to him, his fingertips clinking gently against the glass before he scooted a little closer to his partner, his free hand reaching over to gently slide up and down his leg. "Ya know... back when me an' Boss first got together... it was because he'd heard about me sleepin' around and he got jealous. Told me he didn't want me fuckin' _anybody_ but him. I mean, I was kinda thrilled when I found out he... he wanted me in that way and, really... I didn't mind that he wanted me to be _his_..." His hand left that smooth leg and rose to his neck to toy with the bits of metal before he sighed and knocked back his shot with a sigh instead of a hiss this time. "There was more than one occasion that I turned monsters down because he'd told me I couldn't be with anyone else... heh... it feels a lot different when I think about the fact that I'd turn 'em down now 'cause I want _you_." His gaze finally lifted to lock with Sans' for a long moment, but his face got entirely too hot too quickly and he had to look away again. "And I'm sure we'll figure out somethin' with these metallic pieces o' shit... if not, well... maybe we can just learn to ignore it... or get drunk enough not to care." He grabbed the bottle and took a nice long shot straight from the bottle.

The hand smoothing along his leg seemed to be more to help Red continue, than to calm hiim in any way. Though it didn't hurt. When their eyelights met for a moment, he had the distinct impression of just wnating to comfort and hold this doppleganger until he didn't hurt any more. The shot from the bottle had him chuckle, taking it for one of his own, shifting to slide up in Red's lap, still holding the brandy in one hand. "It'll work out, either way. So long as it's what ya want," he leaned in, sliding a delicate kiss against his teeth, "it's what I want, Red. Jus you. Jus havin' every day getn' to be there wit ya... makes it all worth it." His voice dropped with another swig of booze, then going into a kiss that he never wanted to come up from. Just trying to feel more of the other and letting him know he was there. When he did pull back, he gave a slight chuckle. "Funny thing, y'know. I never imagined I'd... feel like this bout anyone else... Paps," Sans whispered his name, looking down at Red's face as his hands trailed light patterns over his shoulders and arms, "I fucking adored everythin bout him... I jus was too scared that, I dunno, he'd never forgive me for how I felt. Or somethin. But you..." Sans' brow dropped with a soft clunk against that scarred brow, "I couldn't let you go without... try'n. Y'know? Los'n Paps... I... I can't pretend about how I feel anymore. Can't jus hide it behind a grin and hope it comes out alright. I really... really need ya, Red. I dunno if I'm just bein' a lightweight tonight," he lifted the bottle with a smirk, taking another shot, and returning to being snug against Red's front, "or if I jus hope ya know... I don't wanna lose you. An... feels like if I actually say... exactly what I feel... like as soon as I do, it just makes everythin fuckin fall apart."

That kiss was absolutely breathtaking and he could feel his body responding to press further into him, his hands sliding up the back of his shirt and gripping it tight as he let himself get lost in the pleasure and the pain it caused within him. He would take _anything_ to stay in that kiss a while longer, no matter how terrible it could be... but eventually his lover pulled away and he let out a happy sigh as his grip lessened and he simply rubbed along his back and listened. By the end, he could feel his soul burning along with the rest of his body for an entirely different reason and his voice was soft, almost tender as he brought a hand up and stroked along his lover's cheek, watching those eyes carefully as he spoke. "Well, I mean... everythin' fell apart when ya didn't say anything, too..." It took a minute for his own words to catch up in his head and when they did, his smile faltered and he looked away with a bit of panic in his eyes, his hand sliding down to rest on the other's clavicle. "S-...sorry. I think... I guess... it... sounded better in my head. I'm sorry, that was stupid. I-I-I'll just... sh-shut up now." With a soft whine he buried his face in Sans' chest, his hands gripping tightly at that now overly rumpled shirt.

He made a sort of choked hiccup at the comment, flushing and looking away as well when that hand was at his coallrbone, though he leaned into the large body, hugging at him more as he moved into his chest. "Nah, it's alright, Red... I... I know what ya meant," he said in a soft, though slightly strained voice. He heard some sort of snarling chuckle, and a full-body shudder had him hold the other even tighter. He wasn't going to let go. He knew how much he needed it, how much they both likely needed it. He turned his head, kissing at a roughly healed gouge along his jawline. "Let's see what that whiskey does to us, eh? Prolly been way too much serious shit goin' on." He shifted to look for the bottle, spying the paper bag, then looking down at his lover, then back at the bag. "The fuck can't I just make _other_ stuff teleport. I'm goddamn comfy, man," he said, his voice drawn out in mock complaint, before he shifted up to his slightly-shaky legs, moving over to grab the whiskey and bring it over. He fell to his knees in front of Red, pressing another kiss to his mouth as he set the whiskey to one side. "Hey, if I take advantage of you takin' advantage of me, that's just a good time, right?"  
May 15, 2017

The sight of the other dropping to his knees before him was entirely too tantalizing and when he leaned in to for a kiss, Red was quick to grab the front of his shirt, letting him break the kiss only long enough to speak before he was pressing himself back in and letting out one of those possessive little growls as he tongue took pleasure in invading his mouth. "Feel free to take advantage of me in any way you want, baby. I'll be your fuckin' slave." His grip finally loosened as he moved forward into him, his hand slipping around to hold his back and balance him as he got up onto his own knees and stole a few mroe playful kisses. "Fuck, who needs alchohol... feel like I could just get drunk offa _you_." He gave another growl and snapped teasingly at his lover before picking up the whiskey and twisting off the cap, giving it a light sniff before shuddering and tipping it back against his mouth for a heavy drink. He held it out to Sans as he hissed and shivered, licking at his fangs as his mouth burned like a hearth full of embers. "Whoo! That's _much_ better! I might actually get a lil vulnerable under the influence o' that shit." He gave the other monster a knowing look before he felt his head getting light, his whole body swaying ever so slightly, but he could already tell he wasn't going to remember much of tonight come morning.

He took the whiskey and had a swig the same way, the grimace on his face making it look like he wasn't enjoying the way it burned so well down his throat, though he eyed his ketchup before grabbing it and adding a dose to his tongue. Licking his mouth, he confirmed he did in fact enjoy that mix, then moved over to take Red's face and get a whiskey-flavored kiss, making soft hums of enjoyment as he curled thier tongues together, pressed in firm against that larger monster. He didn't even realize how loud and pervasive the aura had gotten, too lost in his lover's mouth and body. Hand trailing into the longsleeve shirt, he pulled it up to get to those ribs, tongue curling at the broken end of one and giving the barest hint of suckling before he trailed feather-light kisses along his sternum, pushing the fabric up more and nuzzling into Red. He shivered all over, tipping his eyelights up as he bit ever so gently at another rib, a whole one, then hooded his sockets shut with a low grunt of a huff, adding pressure as he slid his hands to find that thick, scarred spinal column. His fingers worked to find those spots that he'd started looking for once, hungry to hear what all sound she could get out of his partner.

His breath caught in his non-existent throat as he felt those hands on his body, but he was far from complaining and when Sans started going down to tease at his sensitive ribs with that deliciously warm mouth, his breath returned, heavy with lust. "Hnnn, fuck, baby. Careful with that. You're gonna get me all kinds of riled up." His tongue felt funny in his mouth and it sounded to him as if his speech was beginning to slur a bit, so he did what any sensible monster would do and grabbed the whiskey bottle to take another long drink, his body leaning back as he tipped it and eventually he fell back onto his tailbone, a bit of that brown liquor splashing down on his mouth along with the shirt. "Shit!" He se the bottle aside and licked at his fangs before moving to tug the shirt off over his head, using it to wipe the rest of his face clean before he tossed it to the side. When those bright red eyes locked onto Sans' face again, it became obvious how much mroe this booze was affecting him... though it certianly wasn't going to stop him from enjoying himself. He slid a hand down to cup his lover's cheek and lea dhim up into a kiss while his free hand took one of the other's and led it to a spot on one of his lower ribs that had his whole body arching when he squeezed it. "Haaah, fuck. Jus' like that... don't... don't... be afraid ta get rough, neither. Fuckin'... use me, Sansy. Anythin' you want, it's yours for tha takin'."

Red barely needed to pull him in, moving up when that larger form fell under him, mouth trying its damnedest to have its way with the sharp-fanged one, licking and dragging all inside to get as much of the taste of him and that booze as he could. His hand gripped at the spot he'd been directed to, other takign the whiskey for another quick dose of the burning sting. "Fuck, baby," he murmured, fingers starting to go into that sweet spot a little harder, "ya sound like ya enjoy that." His mouth dropped down to nibble down his collarbone, finding another rib to bite at before he was moving down again, groaning in want as he slid is hand down to the hem of those shorts, his own magic already formed into a firm, drooling cock. "Fuck, Red... an ya thought I sounded good," Sans murmured as he worked his way further, dragging the rest of his clothes away and running his fingertips into the deeper gouges in his hipbones, "tell me how much ya like it when I just fuck'n grab at ya," he rumbled, his voice a silkier version of the deep growls is lover spoke with, waiting for the moment Red's magic made something for him to put his mouth on before he was claiming it with a starved gasp.

"Gah, f- _fuck_ , baby..." Even with everything beginning to blur a little, he found a way to focus on the form of that scrumptious skele going to town on him, his body arching and writhing as he groaned, his fingers curling desperately in the plush carpet beneath them. He tried to stave off that ectoform, not wanting to appear as desperately eager as he was, but as soon as he felt the hand at the hem of his shorts he knew it wa sno use. That familiar tingle built up more and more as he tugged the shorts off of him and his own needy pussy was ready and waiting for him as they were flung away. With a whimper, he covered his face to try and hide his embarassment, but nothing could hide the sounds as he listened to that teasing voice. "Fuck, baby... I h-haaahn~!" He reached a hand up to grab the back of his lover's skull as he moaned shamelessly into the air, turning a bright red the moment it died in his mouth. "F-fuckin'... _stars_ , Sansy... you act like we didn't just fuckin' ha-haaaah~!-ve d-dinner!" His hips rocked up into that hungry mouth and it wasn't long before he was falling onto his back and arching himself up, his entire body screeching with pain and pleasure in such a glorious mix that he was already starining to hold back an orgasm, that bright red tongue hanging out the sid eof his mouth as he drooled and grinned stupid at the ceiling with hearts in his eyes.

He pulled his tongue out of that soaked red magic wit a breathy chuckle, tipping his gaze back up at his lover. "Hah... baby you keep me hungry for more," he murmured, fingers sliding to tease mercilessly at that swollen clit, gaze flickering with a bit of blue magic as he licked the smears of fluids from his mouth, "I'm gonna have dessert." Sans moved back down, tongue plunging into that hot magic, feeling the tingle of that electric current tat seemed to emanate from the metal in his neck, and he made his thick magic work fast, panting into his wet cunt, his othe rhand pumping at himself as he ate Red like he was malnourished and that puffy slick magic had all he needed to recover. The longer he went, the more he coudl feel that fierce rage mounting around him, but he growled in his throat and persisted, thumbing his clit as he licked up everything that dripped frre from that sweet hot tunnel. He didn't know when he hit his limit, but it hit him like a jolt, gasping as he flinched back, an actual rebuff from his lover that had him feeling like... "Oh shit," he murmured, realizing it had actually shaved a small fraction off his HP, and he gritted his teeth as he practially slumped down against the floor between Red's shins. He just wanted to fucking scream.

The murmur pulled his attention out of his lust-fueled haze and over to the skele who had apparently decided he was full before dessert was finished. With shaking arms, he lifte dhimself from the floor. "Whusss... wrong, baby? Get a lil... lockjaw?" He snorted, thinking he'd made an amusing joke, before he pulled himself onto all fours and wrapped his arms around his lover's neck to pull him into a kiss that had him groaning from the taste of whiskey and Red. "Or ya jus'... teasin' me?" He practically giggled as he straddled Sans' lap, the rest of his plump ectoform filling out and making him shiver. "It was feelin'... ssso fuckin' good. You... you okay?" He noted the hint of worry on that sweet face and he didn't like it one bit. Not when he was so eager to make him smile and feel good, even beyond what the alchohol could do. "If you need a break, jus' tell me, handsome." With a laugh that bordered on giggling, he nuzzled his face into that bony next and purred. "Let Reddy take care o' ya." He rolled his hips into his lvoer's lap and shuddered at the feel of that dripping blue cock pressed against his slit, his whole body shuddering and aching with desire as he slid that soak slit along the udnerside... and not seeming to notice the searing pain it was creating in his own body.

"Heh, bit," he murmured, gaze going hazy at just how fucking good Red felt against him. That soft ectobody had small ripples of that angry buzz, but sweet stars it didn't matter. His breath turned into almost pleading little noises as that slit teased at his shaft. "Oh, fucking hell babe... you wanna take care ah me? Mmmph... I'd love that..." he said, voice lost in a slur of drunken adoration, already forgetting about that shock earlier that had rattled him for a bit. His hands slid along, admiring his lover's form as his own seemed to join in, grinning up at him with a glimmer in his eyelights. "Fuck, Red... I wanna feel ya," he said, voice dripping in need as he slid his hands up to those hips, fingers curling in, "I wanna hear the noises ya make fer me again... wanna make you moan like a bitch." Licking his teeth, he rutted his hips lazily up against that wet heat, starting to pant in soft huffing breaths, then traced a line of kisses along his jaw. "Get the fuck on that bed, baby. I'm gonna wreck this pussy."

Oh the noises he was _already_ making as he melted against Sans, his words ringing in his skull and completely drowning out the other voice that was trying desperately to divert his attention. But he wasn't much of a liar, especially when it came to matters of the soul. He was _Sans'_. "Fuckin'... _hell_ , baby." His voice was way higher than he'd expected it to be, straining with desire as he had to practically pry himself off the smaller skele before helping him onto his feet. He took a few trotting steps towards the bed that made that soft form jiggle, but thought better of it and moved with a nice slow sway in his hips before he crawle don the bed, wagging his rump playfully before he slid forwards and collapsed face-first onto the messy bedding with a happy groan. "Mmmm... it still smells like last night." A deep, purring growl rumbled in his chest as he rolled over and sat up to look at Sans, those eyes sparkling as he licked his fangs and waited for his lvoer to join him.

Sans stood and watched those hips shift in a way that made him want to just grab them and bury his face back between those thighs, but he slid his attention up as Red rolled over and looked so deliciously _ready_ for him. Pulling off his shirt, Sans didn't make him wait long, teleporting on the bed and pushing Red down on it, hands gripping tight to those humeri as he gazed over him. "This all fer me, baby? Cuz lemme tell ya... I aint never looked so good," he rumbled, shifting his cock to tease at those puffy lips, that crackling anger in the background ignored in favor of what he'd hear outta that sharp-grinning mouth. Fingers moving to grip those thick hips, he rubbed in slow circles, purple smeared over ther sexes before he worked his way in. Sans eased in, his mouth taking his lover's in another heavy, tongue-curling kiss that lasted until he was fully sheathed, trembling with pleasure at how that tight tunnel felt around. "God _damn_ Red..." he moaned under his breath, already starting to work his hips into shallow, languid thrusts, "an I thought yer mouth was heaven. Holy fuck." Sans went in deep, groaning with how good he felt, already building his pace and feeling that slickness dragging him in. Before long, his moaning grunts were accompanied by wet slaps of ectoflesh, his usual laziness forgotten in the moment as he drove himself single-mindedly into his lover, pausing only at the times he'd need to steady himself, the liquor taking a lot of his balance out, but never taking him out of the pure animal need to sate and be sated.

Those big, bright hearts were shimmering as Sans appeared ontop of him and he couldn't help but tremble with anticipation, wondering if they'd finally, _finally_ get to- _gasp!_ "S-Sansyyyy~!" Those broad hips squirmed as he arched further down onto that deliciously slick cock, groaning with need as he worked his way further inside. "F-fuuuuck... you're..." His words were eaten up in that hungry kiss and he was happy to return it with just as much fervor, that dark violet tongue wanting to taste every inch of him as his legs curled around his hips to pull him further inside with each thrust. "You're... s-so much bigger than ya _look_ , sweetheart." A wicked grin crossed his face as he started rolling his hips against that thick cock, his arms wrapping around him and holding onto the back of his ribs for balance as they started to shift on the bed. "Haaah... f-fuck... so.... so fuckin' _thick_." His hazy lights found Sans' face and locked on, watching him with that blissed out expression that looked almost pained as he felt every inch of him beginning to clench as the metal damn enar overloaded his system. "F-fuckin'...gon-....g-gonna... _CUM WITH ME, BABY!_ " His body wrapped tightly around the other as he pulled him in snug, that soaked tunnel pulling him in deep as his own juices gushed past that delicious blue length. As the wave of his orgasmed rolled over, he caught a whiff of the distinct smell of something burning and when he finally relaxed enough to let go, he reached up to touch the metal, wincing at just how hot it had gotten... though he couldn't notice the charring and small wisps of smoke.

He didn't have to tell him twice, loading that tightening cunt up with heavy spurts of pale blue magic, grunting as he pumped himself and felt those walls milking him for it. He didn't realize he'd pushed his mouth into a bite against the underside of Red's jaw, growling as he came inside his lover. He was too overwhelmed in the haze of lust and booze to bother with something as useless as thinking, just shuddering in pleasure and relaxation against that prefectly loved monster under him. Loosenign his teeth off Red's jaw, he huffed out a drowsy chuckle, cracking open a socket to peer up at him with a dopey, satisfied grin. "Holy shit, baby..." he whispered, though as his own senses seemed to be coming back as he came down off that sex high, he noticed several things. First, he smelled the charred bone, eyelights darting to Red's neck, giving off a worried gasp. When that was acknowledged, he felt like he had several bullhorns of screeching right inside his skull, grimacing with a pained hiss as he gritted his teeth against the noise. But he refused to be bullied off his lover, if anything, he damn near buried himself in Red, pressing his cheek into the smooth ectoform and seeming to just lock himself in place. "No, I'm not givin' him up," he growled, expression the fiercest it'd been since they'd met, "you fuck'n had yer chance!" Sans snapped, looking up at nothing, eyelight flaring bright blue as he summoned a blaster at nothing, the heavy, draconic skull snarling it's own whine of building magic, as if it would drown out the hellish noise that the metal in his cervical vertebrae seemed to create and maintain. He turned his gaze around the room, eyelights flashing in almost desperate anger at the thought of losing him. He was _Red's_ , and Red was _his_ , dammit! "You fuck'n had your chance!" he repeated, angrier, into the surrounding aura of malice, "you can't love him like I do!"

Every inch of him was quivering from the feel of his lover asserting his dominance in ways he'd never imagined, starting with that possessive bite that had his body tensing and melting at the same time. Just as he was beginning to shift his body to enjoy that feeling of being so full of someone else's magic, he noticed the paine dlook on Sans' face and opened his mouth to question it, only to have the question answered by his shouting. His sockets went wide and his bright lights shrank at the sight of the blaster and he could feel himself pressing down into the bed, his voice barely a whisper as he tried to talk to the raging' skele ontop of him. "S-Sansy... baby, please..." But those thoughts of pleading were dissipated when he heard Sans confess his love... He'd known he cared, of course, but to hear it... and to see just how _much_... He let out a soft whine as those lights began to grow once again, the edge of his sockets getting damp as he held back a flood of tears. "S-Sansy~!" He brought his hands up, gently stroking along his lover's face while completely ignoring that screeching hellvoice that was beating at the back of his skull. "Sansy. Baby. Look at me." His hips shifted as he continued stroking along his face, his own expression becoming increasingly adoring of the one on top of him as he waited for him to calm down enough to give him attention. "You're right. I'm yours and there's nothin' he can do to keep us apart." He slowly pulled him down into a tender kiss before blushing... hesitating... and then whispering. "I-... I love you, too, Sansy."

Red's voice had his attention, looking down with an almost wild expression, but when he saw that face, he came back down, hugging into that larger monster as he kissed him, seeming to really hear him in those moments. He gave a sot, broken sob, that blaster disappearing with his taut anger, melting into Red's embrace. He kissed along his mouth again, repeating those words as if he couldn't say it enough. "I love you, Red... I love you. I love you and I'm n-" Sans gave a hiccup, breaking into a slight chuckle before he tried his damndest to hold Red closer, "I'm not gonna let go ah you." He whimpered a low noise, still feeling that prickling sensation of that maliciousness coming from the metal... but he just held Red tight and refused to budge. "I love you so much," he whispered after it had begun to creep along him again, "I can't, not without you."

He whined and whimpered as his hands ran all along the smooth bones of his lover... his _love_... his face went bright red from all of the affection Sans was showing, feeling his soul swelling in his chest. " _Stars_ , baby... You fuck me _and_ tell me how much ya love me in the same night? You're tryin' ta fuckin' spoil me, ain'tcha?" His entire body trembled as he felt those spikes heating back up, but he ignored them, much preferring to keep his attention on his lover. "Don't ever let go, Sansy. I love ya... s-s-so much... I'm... I'm _yours_ , baby." His body tensed as he wrapped his arms tightly around the other and buried his face into the crook of his neck to hide his freely flowing tears. " _All_ yours, Sansy. You're the best thing to ever happen to me and I ain't ever gonna let you feel alone again. I'm here.. now and for- _hnnnnk~_!" His body tensed again and there was the distinct sound of sizzling as his tears began to flow over the heated metal and for a moment, it wa slike the whole bed was shaking along with Red, though it stopped after a long minute when there was the sound of popping and the very distinct crunch of bone that had the scarred skeleton's entire body going limp. When he hit the bed, his sockets were still cracked open, but the lights had disappeared... as had on of the spikes in his neck, leaving a charred, gaping wound that already had bright red marrow flowing freely from it.

He was still sobbing into his lover's embrace as Red kept reassuring him in such tender words, gripping tight and shivering in building exhaustion. He flinched at that loud crack, holding to the other as he felt seething anger trying it just force them apart, but then it all seemed to fall away in a shattering moment. When he fell limp to the bed, Sans pushed up, looking over him, and his breath caught at that bleeding hole, instinctively putting his hand to it. He flinched away, the bone still searing hot, even as the trickle of marrow leaked out over it. A smear of red and dark slate was left on his hand, an angry welt already rising where he'd touched. He shook with tears falling form his own sockets, feeling helpless for several agonizing moments. He didn't know what to do, he didn't have healing magic, it was the middle of the night, he didn't even know if Red would be able to be teleported safely... Sans knew damn well he couldn't carry the heavier monster. He sat there, staring with wide sockets and grey pinpricks of light, shaking in place as he tried to think of something, but kept coming up in blank white noise. "Red," he choked, hoping that he could fucking get himself together if he just talked, "Red, I'mma look... I'mma look for somethin, Red..." Sans kept repeating it to himself, to find somethin, anything, to help with that wound on his neck. To stop it up until morning, to give him time to rest so they could get to Alphys. He rummaged through the bar, coming up empty, then remembered the bathroom. There had to be some kinda first aid kit in there. Anything. Sans ended up finding one, but it was pretty much useless for how bad the gaping hole in Red's neck was. He snatched up one of the towels and tore the end off, gritting his teeth as he did. He was half-blinded by tears, feeling sick as the booze wasn't helping his concentration or state of mind. Getting back to the bed, he carefully lifted Red's skull to fully expose the wound, breath catching in a sob as his shaking hand pushed the towel against the side of his neck. "C'mon baby," he murmured, begging as he wiped his eyes with his arm, "you'll be alright, Red. Jus... gotta rest til ya can walk ta see Al t'morrow," he said, trying to encourage himself more than anything. He packed as much of the torn towel against that wound as he dared, scared that it might still be burning, and would melt the fibers against the bone. But he didn't have much choice, needing to staunch the bleeding until Red could at least regain consciousness and walk. Once it was snug against his neck, he carefully wound the end around and secured it as best he could manage. Once he was done, Sans sat to watch his lover, feeling like if he slept, he'd wake up to him gone. He had to keep an eye on him, to know he was okay. He rubbed the palms of his hands into his sockets, trying to not break down in tears. He needed to keep it together.


	14. Cleaning Up the Blood

It was a good long while before Red began to stir and when he did, his voice was deep and gruff from a hangover that was jackhammering at his skull. "Hnnnnn, _fuck_... How much did I fuckin' drink last night?" What _had_ happened last night? He remembered drinks and then... Sans... Even with the pain of his head feeling like it was going to split open, he was blushing at the memories that _did_ break through... but what had happened after? They fucked, confessed their... their _love_ for each other and then... nothing. Just a big blank in his memory. His hand reached over and he started to turn to look for his lover, but as soon as his head moved, he was crying out in agony and bringing both hands to his skull. "Holy _FUCK_! Haaaah! S-Sansy? Sansy, wh-what happened to me last night?!"

Sans had been in some sort of stupor for the last hour, just listless and watching Red for any changes. When he first stirred, it took him a few moments to even shift out of that rather blank, unmoving state. When he actually _moved_ , Sans made a soft gasp and reached over, making sure the unsteady bandaging didn't fall off his neck. He looked down at those pained eyelights, his own sockets bruised and stained from the silent crying he'd been doing all night in his silent vigil over the other monster. "I... I don't really know," he croaked, his own hangover irritated by the sudden noise, though he'd not noticed it much before now, "w-we... we were havin' sex, an... th-then jus that... yknow... with your neck, an..." his voice failed him, looking around the room aimlessly before he dragged the open first-aid kit closer. The painkiller bottle was open, and he'd had a dose, but it seemed it was already wearing off, if the drum solo starting up in his head was any indication. Sans shook a double dose out in his hand, the welt from last night covered in a piece of gauze taped in place. "Here, Red. It's bout... five in the mornin."

"Geez... first time anyone's made me pass out after, congrats." He gave the other a pained grin before taking the meds and popping them into his mouth to swallow down without complaint, going quiet for a minute as he closed his eyes to rest. Finally, a hand lifted up to his neck and he winced at the pain, his body tensing and trembling as he worked his fingers beneath the crude bandaging and touched the crusty hole where the spike had popped out. "F-fuck... Well, that's one way to get the fuckers out. Couldn't get some... true love's first kiss makin' shit disappear kinda story, nah.... I get 'fuck until my neck explodes'. That's.... actually, that _is_ way mroe fitting." He started to chuckle, but the pain was unbearable the moment his shoulders started to shake, making him take a sharp breath before exhaling slowly and shifting just enough to peer over at Sans and get a good look at him. "Geez, baby... You look as bad as I feel. Did ya sleep at all?" Had the roles been reversed, he wouldn't have slept a wink and he didnt doubt that Sans was the same in that regard. Still, he hated seeing the other so exhausted. "You think Alphys'll make it out here to help? I.... I don't know if I'm gonna be able to move for a long while."

The attempt at humor had him give a half-hearted grin, having it fall away into a frown as he shook his head, shivering with exhuastion. He felt like he was actually going to pass out, now that he knew Red wasn't going to dust in his sleep, and as he asked about Alphys coming here, he made a soft chuckle. "I didn't even fuck'n think of that," he admitted, having been driving himself insane trying to figure out how to get _them_ to _her_ all night. Likely the shock, booze, and sleep deprivation. "I'll give her a call, she might be up already..." he went to find his jacket, actually needing to brace himself agains tthe bed or wall for balance until he sat down on the floor, typing out the numbers. He held the phone to his skull as it rang, and when she picked up, her voice was curious. "Hey, Al... I uh... sorry ta jus call up all a sudden, but... Red needs some medical attention, an I don't wanna risk teleport'n him. Yeah... uh... well one of the metal things is gone. Yeah. No, I mean just... like it dusted or somethin. I dunno. Yeah. Yeah, no, he's conscious an all." Sans made a tired sound as he listened to her for a moment, nodding. "Okay, thanks Al. Yeah, later." He put the phone aside and made his way back over to his companion, sliding up on the bed. "Said she can come up around lunchtime, y think you'll be okay til then?" he asked, his tone begging him to be okay, begging for sleep, "stars, Red... I'm sorry..." he added after a moment, shifting closer and running his hand along him, "I... I just hope you'll be okay. I can't lose you."

"Heheh, I'm gonna be fine, baby. I mean... have ya _looked_ at me? This ain't the first time I've dealt with this and, honestly, aside from the excruciating pain, I think I'm alright." He let his eyes rest for another long minute as he flexed his hands and feet and check his own HP. It felt strange to have so much now... and as he'd thought, even draining bit by bit, he had life to spare. With a groan, he touched gently at the wound again, wondering where the bit of metal had even gotten off to. Before he realized it, he was coming out of a slight snooze, his sockets fluttering open to look around in a daze, still feeling like shit, but... less so thanks to the pain killers. "Mmmm, hey Sansy? You wanna just get in here and cuddle with me for a while? Maybe, uh... throw some shorts on me before Al gets here, first." He smirked before letting out a soft sigh and groping around until he found the blanket, tugging it further over his body before he let himself sink back into the bed to get a bit more rest.

He'd had a mini panic attack when Red had drifted off, but once he checked him and saw he was still alive and breathing, he shivered and reminded himself he'd not slept at all. He was going to be far more paranoid and anxious. Time didn't mean anything to him right now, though, just wanting Red to be alright, and when he asked about cltohes, he hiccuped as he recalled he wasn't wearing anything either. Retrieving both of their shorts, he pulled his on before figuring out how to maneuver Red's legs and get the waistband snugged up around his pelvis. He stopped a moment, his tired mind fascinated by the myriad scars and missing pieces on his iliac crests, a finger tracing the biggest gap before he was mentally shaken out of it by that hissing presence. He looked around, knowing there wasn't any physical or even ethereal thing to find, but just...it always seemed to come from the back of his head, where he couldn't see. Always just out of sight, but hovering too close to be comfortable. He crawled up the bed the rest of the way, curling himself agains Red's less-wounded side, one of his hands moving to lace fingers with the scarred skeleton's own. "I love you," he said, the last thing he could get out before sleep came up to claim him.

 _"Miss me, Sans? I missed you... so much time. So peaceful an quiet... beautiful day, huh?"_ Sans grimaced a choke whine in his sleep, gripping tighter to Red as that dusty, bloodied child walked out of the shadows of the Hall, that glittering knife already feeling like it burned in his ribs. He took a step back, refusing to engage in battle, and every time that human came closer, he backed up, until he felt his spine hit a pillar. _"You know... you've been thinking about what I could do. I could just, yknow... take him from you too. I took Papyrus. Why not? You don't deserve it."_ The glittering knife rested on his collarbone, tip pricking at the low point of his chin, and Sans wondered why he didn't just teleport away. _"Don't you know how to greet a friend? Your manners are as bad as your jokes, Sans."_ That high, menacing giggle... Sans didn't know he'd had tears left, and he didn't know why he didn't fight back. He had his magic. The human didn't stand a chance, even with the LV they'd accumulated. _"Oh, you want to be Merciful? Well. You should have told Undyne that. You should have otld everyone. Just show Mercy. I'm just a -kid-. I shouldn't have to fight. But no... you kept -QUIET-!"_ The knife dug in just as they snarled, their bloody red eyes glaring up at him, and Sans jolted awake, gasping for breath and clutching his chest where that knife had dusted him once before.

Once he felt Sans at his side, their fingers laced tight together, he let himself drift off again to a place where his pain simply didn't exist. He wished he could have simply dozed off into nothingness, but once again he was diving into his wretched nightmares. No, not nightmares. Memories. He relived that striking fear that came with truly being on the brink of death. _Knowing_ you're going to die. Knowing you have a choice. Them or you. His hand tightened on Sans' and his sockets cracked open, remorse plastered on his face. It wasn't long after that Sans was jolting awake and startling the already pained skele, who gasped then groaned as the sharp pain shot through his body. "Fuck. Hey, buddy, what's wrong?" He braced himself before turning enough to look over at him, releasing his hand to bring it to his lover's case to caress it gently. "Hey, baby. You're alright. They're not here. I am. You're safe." He pulled Sans' skull closer and tried to kiss the fear away, his thumb still stroking gently along his jaw. "I've got you, baby. I'm here."

Sans shuddered, even as Red's voice was trying to wave the painful moments of his nightmare away. He clung to those heavily scarred ribs, shaking as he held the spot on his chest where that dull ache of a blade still tried to throb. He leaned into the kiss, the thumb stroking at his face slowly drawing out the worst of it, but he still had those damned words echoing in his head. "Please don't die," he whispered, fingers tightening on his lover, his voice cracked and broken as tears fell sideways along his face. The pale eyelights looked over at the wounded monster laying there with him, and Sans hooded his sockets shut, trying to stem the tide. "I miss him so much, Red," he croaked, breath catching in hitching sobs, a hand moving to cover his face as he still tried to make the tears stop. "Sorry," Sans said after a long time of just trying to calm down, "I just... it's so hard to believe he's really _gone_. That I'll never see him again. And I just..." his hand moved to his ribs again, always that spot, and he choked out several pained breaths, almost hyperventaliting.

After listening intently, Red groaned and moved to sit up, one hand bracing against the sid eof his neck to make sure it wasn't going to fall off, but it seemed as if the clotted marrow was doing a damn good job holding him together. He took a minute to catch his breath, letting the warm wash of pain subside before he looked over at Sans and shifted him up, smiling softly as he braced himself again and moved the smaller skele to sit in his lap, those heavy arms wrapping around him and curling him into a ball against his chest. "I ain't gonna die. Not now. I did it plenty of times back home tryin' to protect the kid, but... now that there's no kid... no resets.... I ain't lettin' it happen again." He kissed the top of Sans' skull and let himself rest just like that, sockets falling shut as he thought back to his own brother. "It is hard. I won't lie, it's fuckin' brutal trying to get past that... but you ain't doin' it alone. I'm here for ya. I'm no replacement, but... I'll do anything I can for ya, baby. You wanna talk about it, we can talk. You want me to just distract ya from the pain, I can do that, too. Whatever you need, Sansy. I love you... and I'm here."

 _He's in pain and all you can think about is yourself..._ Sans groaned as that nagging little voice in his head start up, shaking against his partner as he tried to hide his face in those heavily marked ribs. He just stayed there in his embrace, trying to not break down completely as the scenes of that human kept repeating, his breath shivering as he made himself keep talking, just to keep from falling into the silence of his own mind. "I... I was dying," he whispered, "before the reload... I was... I'm terrifed, Red. I keep feeling it." Sans turned his gaze up to that face that looked like his at first... but now he coudl see where they were most different. The set of their jaw, the way his fangs were full-mouth, the angles of his sockets, even the way he seemed to have a heavier build to his skull. He slid a hand up, tracing those features, his own traced in tracks of pale blue. "I love you too, Red. I need you." Leaning his brow against his lover's lower teeth, he shuddered out a long, low sigh. "I'm sorry... I know you're hurt. You should be resting. I just need you so much."

"Nah, don't worry about me. You're hurt, too and this shit ain't new to me. Scars on the outside heal way easier than the ones on the inside." He took that loving hand and slid it down to his neck, feeling a jolt of pain as the smooth fingers grazed against it and he smiled. "One less thing to worry about. I wonder... if that voice'll be as strong with one of these missing. I really fuckin' hope not." He gripped his lover's hand and brought it down to his chest, letting it rest flat on his sternum as he pressed a gentle kiss to the other's brow and let out a sigh as he concentrated. After several quiet moments, Sans could feel everything from inside Red's soul. Every ounce of love he felt for the other skeleton and every bit of fear he felt at the thought of losing him. At the thought of being useless, just watching his lover break with no idea how to stop it. How to fix it. "Maybe... this'll be louder'n him. I mean... I dunno, what all you can hear." His embarassment. _I'm so fuckin' shit at this._ He pressed another kiss to Sans' forehead before nuzzling his nose down until he could steal a kiss form his mouth, letting their teeth linger before he let his tongue curl out and claim the other, that soul pulsing warmly beneath the other's hand and picking up the pace as the kiss deepened, letting him feel the one thing he felt he couldn't express nearly enough. _I love you._

Sans' hand shivered against that sternum, feeling keenly what Red shared with him. How Red felt. His sobs cracked, and when Red drew him into that kiss, he hugged around his skull with the other arm, crying into that curling connection, his fingers shifting to grip at the gaps between his ribs. He let himself drown in those emotions, the way Red just wanted to soothe him. Help him. Try to keep him from breaking apart and to mend what he could. Sans gasped, his breath panting against those fangs, before he moved back to look up at him with soft white hearts, his voice low and almost pleading. "You're so much more than I deserve," he said, "but I fucking need you, babe. Without you... I probably would have just died in the Hall. With or without the human." _I should have died, not Papyrus. He was so much -better- than me._ Sans squeezed his sockets shut, trying to not think like that. He couldn't change what had happened. "I keep wanting it to be a nightmare. But then... I'd lose you. I'd lose you and I... I can't. Even," he broke into those teary, gross sobs, silent as they streaked down his face, "e-even for Paps... I can't, Red." His fingers gripped harder at Red's chest, feeling the warm pulse of that live, caring soul. The love he offered, the comfort he provided. Everything.

"Heh. Maybe the glitch wasn't such an accident. Maybe we were meant to be together." His hand curled further around the other, pressing it more firmly to his soul and making him gasp softly as he rested his brow against Sans' once more. "I fuckin' needed you too, baby... I was... I was so _alone_. You have no idea how much that hurts. Wakin' up every single day wonderin'... _why_? Why even fuckin' bother? Paps was dead. I didn't have any friends or anyone I could talk to or just... be with. Everything felt so... empty. Pointless. But now..." Soft red tears streaked down his face, tingling when they ran across the healing would in his neck and a few dripping silently onto Sans' hand. "I feel like I have some kinda purpose again, ya know? I've got someone worth livin' for. Someone worth fighting for. Someone to love, to comfort, to just fuckin' hold. I've got _you_ , Sansy... and I ain't ever lettin' ya go. I ain't leavin', I ain't dyin'. I ain't ever gonna let you feel alone like I did. I'mma do everything I can to make you happy. To make sure you know how much I love ya and want ya and _need_ ya, baby. I dunno if I'll ever be able to find the right words for it." He pressed the hand even harder against that warm magic before slowly pulling his hand back, his soul floating along with Sans' palm. "Maybe this can tell ya. It's yours to do whatever you want with, Sansy. It's _all_ yours."

That warm soul in his palm, Sans' other hand went to his mouth, covering it as he hiccuped dry, disbeliving sobs. It was everything that Red was. His life, is essence, his being... and he trusted it to him. He could feel all the things his lover said, all the things he hadn't said. The echoes of pain from losing his brother, from being alone, from almost giving up. "You didn't give up," he whispered, sockets hooding shut, "you didn't give up, and you came to help me. Stars, Red... I... I love you so much. I wish I felt like I deserved it, I wish I didn't hurt you by being... being so broken up right now. I know you... you understnad why, though. You lost your Paps... you know how it hurts." His hand slid down to his own sternum, feeling the shiver of his cyan soul behind his ribs. He wanted so much to just stop hurting. "You didn't give up... and it means you got to come here." Sans shifted, about to say something else, when he heard the rumbling gurgle of his ecto-belly complain he was hungry. His hand went up to his blushing face, chuckling an embarassed grin. Wow, thanks buddy. You know just howta killa mood," he said, looking down at the blue pudge. It didn't answer for a moment, then made another complaint as to when Sans would be making with the food. "Come ta think of it, all this cry'n and shitty sleep prolly drained me, past what ya did ta me last night," he added with a wink, glad for the distraction. He looked down at the warm soul still in his hand, eyelights going soft, then tipped his head up to touch a gentle kiss to Red's mouth.

The gurgling belly and following reaction had Red pause to gawk at his counterpart for a moment, before breaking into laughter that shook his shoulders and made that soul in Sans' hand glow bright with joy and amusement. "Fuck, babe. Why didn't ya tell me ya needed somethin' inside ya? You know I'm more than happy to deliver." He nuzzled his mouth against Sans' earhole with a growl while his hand led the one holding his soul back to his sternum. He peppered him with kisses as he let his soul slide back into place, feeling a small sense of loss when he could no longer feel the smooth bone touching its soft surface. "Ya know, they got a kitchen downstairs. With everyone that's come here to stay, we might be able to get somethin' without havin' to go out." He shifted to start moving out of the bed, but just as he swung his leg over the edge, he felt a dinstinctly unpleasant sensation that followed the soft sound of cracking bone. " _Fuck_." His hand rose to the side of his neck and when he pulled it away, he could see the smear of red marrow on his palm. "Shit. When did Al say she'd be gettin' here?" He pulled off the crude bandaging Sans had put in place before, moved it to a cleaner spot and reapplied it with the precision of someone who's done it far too many times in their life. "Not tryin' to lose my head over this or nothin', but it'd be great if she showed up sooner, rather than later." Oh so very gingerly, he adjusted himself again until he was resting against the headboard, keeping one hand pressed against the throbbing wound on his neck while he tried very, very hard to keep his breathing steady.

He couldnt help but join in, chuckling as tears of laughter joined the ones from before, already missing the feel of that other monster there in his grasp. He felt himself shiver all over, as if the sudden loss had opened him back up to his own swirl of emotions. Taking several long breaths, he hiccuped and his eyelights went out as Red cursed after that crack of bone, moving to help him back against the bed, breaths shuddering as he looked his lover over. "Lunchtime," he answered, looking for some kind of clock, though of course the room didn't have one anywhere to be seen. Sans went to find the towel he'd alreayd started tearing apart, pulling a couple more strips free after he retrieved his phone. It was barely half past eight, they still had a few hours before she'd be able to come over. Snagging the bowl of popcorn from last night and their condiments, he shuffled back on the bed at Red's side. "Still got time fer another nap, baby," he said, trying to make it sound better than it was. He worried the torn towel in his hands, looking at the fresh marrow leaking down along that scarred neck, and he bit back a sound of distress. "Can try change'n it," Sans said, fingers rolling the fabric around, "might help." He nudged Red's hands from the makeshift bandage, his own shaking as he tried to peel it off as gently as he could. It stuck, especially at the edges, where he could see that some small, chalky pieces of charred bone came away, more of that bright red marrow welling up. "Shit," he hissed, fighting back tears as he tried to go faster without causing more damage. By the time he'd gotten the clotted, stained piece off, he could see where a few other spots joined in the bleeding, and the wound looked much worse exposed to the open. It was big enough that Sans could easily fit a finger in without touching any of the bloody, burnt bone. He couldn't tell how deep it was, either, but he tried not to think about it as he started to prod the new, clean towel into place, doing just as he had with the one last night, and tucking it as snug as he dared, being arouns the other' s neck. "There," he said, sounding a little more enthused than he actually was. His hand sought out one of Red's, lacing their fingers together as he moved in closer, dragging the bit of food over where he could reach it too. "Better'n nothin, right?" he said, giving his companion a small grin as he started to eat. Slow, single pieces, sometimes shifting to sip some ketchup.

Red stayed perfectly still as he let the other worry over him. He hated seeing him so upset, but... he'd be lying if he said he didn't enjoy the fact that someone actually _cared_ that he was hurt. It was that sentiment that made a soft smile curl over his face, his sockets falling shut as Sans changed his bandaging, not commenting on how loose it felt on his bone... granted, he'd always enjoyed the things around his neck almost excruciatingly tight. When his partner finally moved, he cracked a socket open and watched him, lifting a brow as he grabbed the stale popcorn and their respective bottles of condiment. Ignoring the popcorn, Red happily started in on the bright yellow bottle of deliciously tangy mustard, letting it coat his tongue before he swallowed with a groan. After about half the bottle, he could feel it working its magic on him and while it wasn't fully healing the wound it was doing a fine job of restoring some of that slowly depleteing HP. "Mmmph. It don't taste nearly as good as you, but it'll do the trick for now. Gonna have to move real gentle if I wanna take another nap with ya. I'm sure you don't wanna have a boyfriend who's a ' _no body_ '." He chuckled at the joke, before realizing exactly what he'd said and turning a deep shade of red, though he didn't try to apologize or comment on it the slip at all. He simply went back to nursing that bottle like a babe at the tit.

He was okay with the night-old popcorn, it tasted pretty salty and the butter shit was okay, but mixed with some ketchup, he'd eat about anything. Red's comment on flavor had him chuckling, though when he heard that word, his face lit up. Shy but with a big, stupid grin. Sans shifted over, abandoning what was left of the popcorn and tipping his head to look over at the flushed face. "Whassa matter, Red, lil slip of the tongue got ya hot an bothered?" he asked, licking his mouth with that same blue appendage that had his lover screaming last night, then chuckled. "Don't worry baby, y'know how gentle I can be." Nudging a kiss against that hefty jawline, he waited until the other skele seemed ready to lay down, and helped him shift, bit by bit. Once he had him laying down, he moved over him to be laying on his unwounded side, since he didn't want to end up distrubing the bandage too much. Once Sans had food and comfort, snugged down against Red's side, he felt his sockets getting heavy again, sleep calling like the fickle seductress it always was with him. "I love you, Red," Sans said, unwilling to ever go to sleep without telling him that. Unwilling to lose the chance of letting him know in no uncertain terms how much he meant to the smaller monster.

"Yeah, yeah. Shut up, you gorgeous asshole." The red on his face deepened, but his grin looked like it was ready to split his head in half. He set the mustard to the side as Sans helped him back down, groaning at how feeble he felt accepting the help, but he wasn't about to turn it away. He'd had most of his pride beaten out of him ages ago and he wasn't about to waste the little he had on something that he knew would probably make Sans feel better, too. Once they were both settled, he wrapped an arm around his lover and let out a satisfied sigh as his fingers gently stroked against those smooth ribs. "I love you, too. And once we get my neck situation under control Imma have the slip of my tongue gettin' you hot and bothered." His whole body shook lightly as he chuckled and hugged his lover a little closer, a purring growl rumbling in his chest as he settled his hand on Sans' iliac crest, stroking at the smooth ridge gently with his thumb. "Mmmm. You know... I think I'm okay with doin' just this right here for the rest of my life. I don't need nothin' else. Just you, baby. Only you." After a minute of happy silence, he let out a yawn and before he realized it, he was deep asleep in his boyfriend's arms.


	15. Housecall

No idea how long he'd been conked out, but from the way his phone was going off, likely Alphys was trying to figure out just -where- in the hotel they were. Sans groaned, peeking his sockets open to look up at the larger monster, sighing as he noticed how dark the towel had gotten in the past few hours. Red was losing so much blood. Shifting as his phone went off again, he pulled it away from where the popcorn bowl had tipped some of the old puffs over it, wiping it off on the messy bedding before answering. "Hey, sorry Al, we - yeah we were sleep'n. Uh, third floor far hall. Think it's like, a single? Definately not the honeymoon suite, aint that fuck'n nice." The lizard seemed to be talking very quietly, so he knew she was having a bad day. Maybe getting to see herself doing some good would perk her up, or perhaps she'd been worrying herself sick all morning. Either way, by the time he heard her careful little knock on the door, he was opening it for her, noticing first that she was in her own fuzzy bathrobe and some sort of casual clothing, rather than her lab coat.  
"S-sorry I'm a bit late," she said, even though she knew that really, neither of the two would have noticed if she hadn't brougth it up. The first thing she did was get over to the bed, somehow ignoring the obvious stains and mess of it and instead looking up at Red. "Oh st-st-stars, Sans..." she breathed, eyes wide as she opened up her inventory, "I-I hope I br-brought enough."

It wasn't the phone that woke him up so much as the sudden emptiness at his side that had him cracking a socket open with a groan. "Hnnnn... fuck..." He peered up at the yellow lizard and got a bit of his smirk back as he lifted a hand to grab a bit of the fuzzy robe, rubbing it gently between his fingers. "Mmmm, izzis Heaven? 'Cause I'm seein' an angel." His other socket cracked open just so he could shoot a teasing wink at her, but once his comedic act was over he couldn't help but wince as the pain brought him back to how serious the wound really was. "Sorry for havin' ya make a housecall, Doc. Woulda tried comin' to see ya myself, but uh, can't really get outta bed without turnin' a lil more religious." He waited for a moment before grinning again at his own stupid joke. "Get it?" His hand reache dup and started prying away the sticky mess of bandaging that had helped clot the wound again, though it was looking far messier than it had when they first woke up. "I'm _hole-y_." He snorted and brought a couple of fingers near the wound to graze over it, a brow lifting when he lifted them and saw just how bloody they were now. "Damn. I mean, I already knew I was a mess, but wow..."

"R-Red, now's not the time for jokes!" she tried to scold, only sounding on the edge of hystarical as she tugged her bathrobe off, especially when his hand came up so smeared with his own marrow. She took several deep breath, her face flushed as she moved over, trying to get a better look at the injury. "It _is_ all gone," she said, sounding fascinated, spreading out an assortment of medical tools on a tray, as well as a strange jar the looked like it was full of glue. Once she had everything set up, she realized she was about three inches too far from the other monster to get any actual work done, and huffed as the lizard hoisted herself up on the bedding, knocking more popcorn around, scooting everything closer to her patient. She even had a clamp-on lamp that she stuck on the headboard. "You're gonna need to roll to your side a bit more," she instructed, pulling thick protective gloves on over her hands, the tips reinforced to not be punctured by her already-blunted claws, "and Sans, get me some water," she said as she pushed a basin over. He had been kind of standing around in a daze for a moment, as if unsure what use he could be. Having the role of nurse given, he accepted and went at it as best he figured he could, also gathering up a couple towels from the bathroom in case she wanted those too. "Red, I don't know h-how bad this is gonna be, s-so if it hurts t-too much just let me know, okay?" Alphys' voice had gone a little reedy, as if afraid of doing any actual harm to anyone. She'd already gotten all the tools out of the steam-sealed wrappers, several small bottles of various liquids opened on her tray, as well as a stack of gauze squares.

"Alright, Doc. Just don't be mad if I _enjoy_ it a lil too much, sweetheart." He chuckled through the pain of turning further onto his side for her, giving her all the access she needed to get to that gaping hole. He took slow, deep breaths as she worked, letting his sockets fall shut as he groaned at the pain and gripped the sheets, though after a minute his groans were starting to sound far from pained. With his breath getting slightly more ragged, he shifted his head, wincing a bit as a sharper pain shot through him. "S-Sansy! ...F-fuckin'... could... could ya come here? Just... h-hold my hand, alright?" He let out another groan and shifted his body in a way that had his soul glowing brightly in his chest while his hand searched around almost desperately for his partner's. "Haaaah, fuck, Al. Ya really know how to work a hole just right, dontcha?" Instead of a laugh, he masked the pain with a deep growl that had the entire bed vibrating beneath him as he gripped hard at the sheets, the all too familiar sound of ripping cloth filling the air.

The scalpel she'd been using to scrape away at the charred areas sliced into healthy bone as she choked a sputtered noise, her face deep umber as she tried to regain focus. She had to put it down and rub her face between her forearms, since her hands were currently spattered in marrow and smears of deep grey. Sans squeezed Red's hand a bit, giving him a face. "C'mon buddy, Al can't work if ya keep make'n her slip. Think ya can hold it til she's done?" Sans slid both hands over Red's, trying to pry his claw-like fingers loose, "hey, tell me bout Paps. When he was lil," he offered, hoping that having something to talk about would keep his mind off teasing the lizard monster. Sans ended up half-kneelig against the bed, his elbows propped so their faces were close. "Tell me bout how he got his scarf."  
While the two skeletons talked, Alphys was keeping her hands steady at his cervical vertebrae as she managed to get to the bottom of the wound. It was deep enough that she knew the white goop in the jar would need applied in several layers, if it was going to mend over properly. Her claws worked fast enough that barely any marrow could seep out into it before she was prodding a chunk of the substance into the 'point' of the wound, slowly building a thinning shell up on the inside of the conical injury until it no longer had any pink showing from where the goop was melding with his marrow. She gave it a few minutes, still chipping away at scorched spots to get to unburned bone beofre applying some healing ointment. By the time she was done, her hands ached from the delicate work, and she was glad to be stripping the pink-smeared gloves off. "Th-that's the bes tI can do for now," Alphys said, clicking the light off, "it'll need a few days to fully seal, th-then I'll be able to do another layer once it hardens."

Red let out a heated gasp when the scalpel bit into the more sensitive bone around the charred and scarred, fingers digging more deeply into the bedding beneath them. "Haaah... _fuck_... yeah... alright, alright. Fuckin' hell..."He let his sockets close as he felt them reshaping into lusty little hearts, his entire body trembling as he held himself back from enjoying the treatment entirely too much. Once he had Sans properly distracting him, he loosened his grip and let those sockets crack back open to watch him while he got his breathing under control. "Geez... talk about a mood killer...." He shot his lover a wink before letting out a heavy sigh and thinking back, trying to remember through the blur of time and pain. "Him and some scrappy lil fuck got into it out at the dump over that stupid piece of cloth, but I think it was the first fight that I just stayed out of. He was big enough to hold his own and I needed to see if he'd be okay if... y'know... anythin' happened to me. He didn't know I was watchin'... Whooped the other kid's ass hard." he gave a slight chuckle and then another heavy sigh as he tipped his head to open up for Alphys a little more.  
"He stood over him and had the chance to fuckin' dust him... but he didn't. Told him to fuckin' scram and when I finally came around, he was wearin' it with so much pride you'd think it'd been a gift from the king himself." He pulled his hand away from Sans and rubbed at his face, feeling a flurry of mixed emotions running through him and the other bit of metal in his neck... felt pleasantly warm. Like a hug, if it were stabbed in the side of your neck. Once the lizard announced she was done, he slid his hand over to touch delicately around the wound, his face twitching with just a bit of pain, though it wasn't nearly as bad as before. "Thanks, Doc. I appreciate it. Really. Anything I need to know? Like... restrictions in physical activities?" He lifted a brow as he slowly rolled over to look at her, still keeping his fingers near the wound as if he were afraid his head might still fall off.

Sans had just been smiling throughout the little story, even with it being far more violent a tale than he'd imagined it would have been. But consiering how scarred and torn up his lover was, he actually could see it much better than some peaceful method. As Alphys was packing up her kit, he looked up expectantly as well, and the lizard rubbed her hands together, both shy and thinking. "W-well, it might be b-b... best if... you didn't have another one blow out," she said, "s-since it'll take some time for the first one to heal. A-and you need to not g-get anything on the... the s-sealant, o-or I'll have to replace it." Alphys slid back off the bed, popcorn scattering on the floor, and she looked around, as if realizing how the place looked. Not that she had room to talk, and seemed to realize it with a soft flush.  
"Prolly gonna hafta wait on find'n a place ta stay, then, if we can't go out look'n," Sans commented, looking down at Red with a raised brow, "I ain't leavin' ya anywhere by yerself. Don't give a damn how fuck'n tough ya are." He emphasized the point by slidng up to snug against the larger skele, finding his hand to lace fingers with him. Alphys seemed to be thinking of something, wandering in the room and looking over everything.  
"I-I've never actually been in the hotel before," she said, sliding up on the stool to the bar and clicking her claws on the polished surface, "it doesn't really suit you, Sans," she added, sounding almost teasing, though she looked away after she'd glanced back and saw them so close. She folded her arms on the bar, and closed her eyes. She was quiet for a bit, before she pushed up away from it. "I should be going," she said quietly, "I still have some work to do."

Red couldn't help but snicker a bit as he thought of what kind of 'blow out' had caused the problem in the first place. A soft flush covered his face when Sans scooted up close, getting protective over him and... he couldn't help but grin at just how nice the sentiment felt. "Awww, already gettin' clingy on me?" He gave their laced fingers a squeeze as his free hand slipped behind him and hugged him closer, letting their faces linger close enough to kiss. "Can't say I'm opposed to it. 'Sides, I don't mind lazin' about here with you for a while. I'm sure we'll find somethin' to entertain ourselves with." With a soft growl he pressed into a lingering kiss before nuzzling around his neck, forgetting for a moment that they weren't alone... and surprisingly it was a sharp tug of pain that got his attention more than Alphys' voice, though he did turn away from his lover to look at her as she spoke of leaving. "O-Oh... hey, Sansy, didn't ya pick somethin' out for her when we were out shoppin'?" He returned his gaze to... his _boyfriend_ with a soft flush and softer gaze, letting his fingers trail over the ridges of his spine rather tenderly.

He seemed to get Red's intent reather clear, nudging a kiss against his cheek before he sat up. "Yeah, I did get ya somethin Al," he said, despite her stammering it was okay. Taking a moment to shuffle through the paper bag, he pulled out the noodle cups to show her. "Ain't had this flavor in a few weeks, right?" he added as he got over to her, physically taking her claw and putting the cup in it. Alphys took a moment, looking down at the label, sliding her other hand to grip around the cup.  
"N-no, I haven't," she said in a small voice, staring down at it. After several long, silent moments, she looked back up at Sans, and he could see the tears hiding in her dark eyes. "Th-thank you, Sans... Red..." the lizard lifted a hand to rub under her glasses, a small sniffle making her voice sound higher. "I.. I sh-should go. I-it's getting late a-a-and th-they ha-haven't had their lunch and..."  
"Al," Sans said, putting a hand to her shoulder, "they'll be okay another few minutes." She couldn't meet his gaze, looking down at the noodle cup again.  
"Undyne used to get me these ones all the time," she said after a pause, he voice very quiet, almost as if the cup would disappear for her saying it. She took a long, shiveringly deep breath, hand sliding along her snout. She seemed to be trying to decide how to say what was on her mind, then when she did, she got to her feet and marched over to the bed. "Red, you will be coming to the lab tomorrow, and I -will- have the equipment set up to check on those spikes. I have work to do, and I expect -both- of you there after breakfast."

Sloooowly, he mad ehis way into a good sitting position, watching the two with a gentle look on his face before letting out a happy sigh at the sight of them. When Alphys marched herself over, however, his face became fully attentive, his brows raised in question as she made her orders clear. With a broad grin, he moved to slide out of the bed, the sealant seeming to hold up just fine, though it still tugged a bit and caused pain to shoot through his neck, though he did a damn fine job of hiding the outward signs. With the same careful slowness, he wrapped his arms around the yellow lizard monster and pulled her into a hug, letting it linger before he turned his head towards the dip in the side of her head where he knew she would hear him as he spoke so softly. "Thanks, Al. I dunno what we'd do without ya." He gave a tighter squeeze and bumped his brow lightly against the side of her head before finally letting her go and leaning back on the edge of the bed with his most charming smile. "If there's anythin' ya need, just let us know, alright? Us nerds gotta stick together." He shot he a wink and chuckled as he started carefully climbing back into the bed to rest against the headboard again, this time feeling far better with a lack of lethal neck damage and an even worse hangover.

Sans had the same grin on his face as Red made that smaller monster freeze up in surprise at the hug, but she nodded, picking at a claw as he slid back up on the bed, the blush still quite clear on her face. Without another word, she got her bathrobe and pulled it back on, looking over at the two skeletons before seeing herself out with a quiet _click_ of the door. Teleporting right back on the bed, he sat against the headboard with his lover, leaning to rest his cheek on his shoulder - on the one not healing. "Yer such a fuck'n softie, babe," he teased, fingers sliding over the back of that scarred hand, hooding his sockets shut, "I s'pose you'll ned some real food again if we wanna get that neck ah yers goin' right."

"Shut the fuck up." It's hard to say how one can say such words with an affectionate tone, but Red had certianly found the knack for it, turning his face with a deeper blush while curling his arms around his lover and giving him a soft squeeze. "I hate seein' monsters look how I felt for all those years. Just... wanted to make sure she knew she ain't alone. That... y'know... she's still needed and... we're here for her if she needs us. Besides..." He turned his face and let one hand stroke gently over Sans' cheek as he purred his words. "You know how I can't resist a cute blushin' face." He nuzzled against the side of that smooth skull, his purrs turning into playful little growls before the mention of food had his belly forming just to start grumbling at him. "You shut the fuck up down there, can't you see we're tryin' ta have a moment? Yeesh."

"Heh, sounds like ya know what-" Sans _snrked_ at the belly, sliding a hand down to pet along the bulge of ectoflesh, "aww... someone needs some num nums," he said, giving just a shiteating grin at the other as he leaned in, nuzzling more little kisses against that scarred bone. "Mmm, wonder if ya were right bout the kitchen..." he murmured, though he seemed mor eintent on dappling Red with affection for the moment, rather than moving anywhere off that bed. Another low hum as he slid his fingers to grip along his hip, snugging them in closer together. "Damn, I can't get enough of you, babe," he breathed, looking into those bright red eyelights and slowly rubbing their brows together, "we're gonna hafta eat and go ta bed early if Al expects us ta actually be there on time."

"Mmmm, gonna get me some fuckin' num nums alright." He returned that shit-eating grin and shifted to move both hands around him again, letting out a string of those soft purring growls as he slowly started shifting the smooth skele up into his lap. Bright red hearts stayed locked on his face as he returned the gentle nuzzling against his brow, his fingers tracing all along the sides of his ribs before working slowly down his body to rest on his hips. "Well then, I guess ya better hurry up and get me some num nums then, baby. Imma need some energy if I'm gonna give ya enough of me before I get back to sleepin', ya know." He gripped against those bony hips and gave a very pointed thrust of his own before compeltely releasing him and lacing his fingers behind his cracked skull with a smug, expectant look on his face.

"Mmmhmm," he mused, gaze hooded as he gave just as good as he got, hips shifting on that lap, "ya heard the doc, baby... can't be havin another _blow out_..." Sans murmured against his mouth, teeth rubbing in lightly teasing kisses as he kpet moving against his lover, even as Red leaned back and seemed ready to enjoy it. He knew he was. Sans sifted his legs to grip either side of Red, licking his mouth, "i know I'd like a bit more of that juicy dessert I didn't get ta finish las' night... or ya wanna serve me another treat, Red?" He chuckled as he slid over off the bed, looking for his shirt without so much as acknowledging the other monster until he did. "Welp, guess I shoudl go see about some chooooow. Can't have ya all worn out," Sans said, shooking a wink over his shoulder as he went to the door, leaning in after a sec. "Oh an baby, don't miss me too much while I'm gone." _click_

It felt like even his arousal was glaring at the door when the other left, though he couldn't help but smirk as he slumped a bit against the headboard and ran a hand over his face with a groan. "Stars I fuckin' love that teasin' asshole." He chuckled a bit more and stared longingly at the door, then gave a withering look of exasperation to the very obvious tenting in his shorts. The glare got even more intense when his stomach decided to start growling at him again. "Fuckin' both o' you shut up, he'll be back before ya know it." With a resigned sigh, he looked around at the mess that had become their temporary home away from home and he started making his way out of the bed to start picking up what he could of the popcorn without hurting himself too much, tossing it into the bowl, which he set on the bar counter. Next were the bottles, which he lined up beside it in order from tallest to smallest before working on getting their bed straightened out a bit and since they weren't going anywhere or planning on having any visitors, he stripped out of his shorts and tossed them aside before resuming his position in the bed to wait for his darling asshole tease of a boyfriend to return.

Sans wasb't surprised to see a few other monsters had a similar idea to theirs, but there was a problem. The door was locked. One mouse monster had been trying to pick it, unsucessfully, while a Gyftrot offered unhelpful advice and another monster, bundled up head to toe in a sheet, watched with an occasional sad sniffle. Taking a chance that they hadn't spotted him yet, he backed away enough that they couldn't see him teleport just inside the door, listening to the way the mouse was working at the lock, and eventually he flipped it open, teleporting back just as he heard their exctied gasps. "Oh, hey, looks like I ain't the only one had the idea," he said, and the Gyftrot pawed at the floor.  
"Meese unlocked it! We can go see if there's any food now."  
"Mind if I come with?" he aske,d not wanting to just impose himself on etheir little 'victory', and the mouse - Meese - hopped up with her tail flicking happily.  
"Well, I mean it's not like it's actually -ours- but no one's come back to run the hotel, so..." she shrugged, giving a toothy grin, then headed inside. He hoped at least one of them knew how to cook.

About forty minutes later, he was heading out with a covered tray, waving back to them before diseappring around the corner, then disappearing to just inside his and Red's door. He smirked at the sight, looking his boyfriend over a moment, just taking in how he was sitting there, teasing him right back without so much as working at it. "Heh, you look like you _missed_ me, baby. Now what'd I say 'bout that?" he said, carrying the tray over to the small table, the scent of the food still being held in by the domed cover. "You wanna eat first, or should I help ya wit dat?" he asked, elbow propped on top o the cover, gazing over that other skeleton like he was all the meal Sans needed.

"What and let the food get cold?" That look on his lover's face had him standing even more firmly at attention as his body begged to be touched, but his belly was far louder than his cock in its protesting. "So what's on the menu? Ya find anythin' that look _appetizin_ '?" He turned to face the table a bit better and let himself lean a bit more leaisurely whle one hand slid up his thigh and over to that dripping red cock, stroking it almost lazily as he kept his gaze locked on Sans and acted as if nothing at all were amiss. And damn was he a good actor. He wanted nothing more than to have that skele ontop of him and taking every ounce of energy he had until he'd finally gotten as much of Red as he could handle. "Better hurry up and get me fed... not sure if I'll have the energy for anythin' else 'til then." That slick red tongue ran slowly over his fangs, the glint in his eye making him look hungry for far more than just food.

"Oh I can see plenty that looks good," Sans said, watching without a lick of shame as Red seemed to be just as playful, "food ain't too bad neither." He shoved the table right up against the bed, hand sliding up to pull that face in closer by the chin and give the other skeleton the barest hint of a kiss. "I'll feed ya alrigh', baby..." he purred, chuckling before he took the cover off the plate. It was a steaming mix of potatoes, onion, peppers, and strips of meat, sliced up out of the robot brick shape. Sans piled up a heaping forkful, and slid over to where he could actually hand-feed the larger monster. "Say ahhh~" he added.

"Mmmm, you really outdone yourself, baby." He looked to the forkful of food, then locked gazes with his lover as he brought up his hand, still sticky with the copious amount of precum he'd produced just waiting for the other. He turned his face to lick his hand clean, making every motion slow and erotic as he could before bringing the hand over to gently hold Sans' wrist as he leaned in to take the bite. "Ahhh~!" His tongue curled slightly around the fork to guide the food into his mouthand as he chewed he let out one of those same suggestive groans he'd exhibited during their little date, leaning back against the headboard again as he simply enjoyed the flavors and fought the urge to take hold of himself again, trying so hard to save it all for his lover. "Fuckin' delicious."

Sans' sockets went half-lidded as he watched, making a soft sound of enjoyment as Red made a show of cleaning his hand off. He waited until his wrist was released to set up the fork again. "I bet it is, babe," he said, still just loving the way Red was looking as he kept a steady flow of that slightly salty, spicy mix of food, "can't wait ta have some mahself..." he added, and Sans knew they both knew he didn't mean what was on the plate. Not letting up, he didn't move from his spot until Red had eaten every bit of that meal, setting the fork down and nudging the table away before he slid up to brace himself on all fours over the othe rmonster, his hearted gaze locking with those crimson lights as he pressed their brows together. "Didja like it, Red?" he murmured, kissing at him before moving down to the dip of his clavicle, and starting a trail down his sternum, humming to himself, "I know I liked have'n ya eat'n outta my hands," he said against the first bulge of that ectoform, hands sliding down along the thick thighs, pointedly ignoring that dripping erection to instead feel at the rest of his lover. Even if that presence was already starting to snarl at him.

Once the meal was finished, he let out a satisfied sigh as at least one of his problems quieted down, which let the other make itself even more aware. With hooding sockets, he kept his gaze on his lover as he held himself over that chubby body, his cock twitching and drooling as it _begged_ for attention. "Hehehe, 'sat right? You know I'm yours, baby. Your good boy who'll do whatever ya want... and let ya do whatever ya want to me." He couldn't help but let his body press into his attentions, wanting everything he could get. To feel every last inch of the other, even as he teased around the one part screaming for attention. But the suspense made it better. _So_ much better. His hands gripped at the sheets as he watched with hearted lights and bated breath, his hips already shifting into the smooth motions of his stroking as he whined, wanting to be touched... but _loving_ the torture.

"Mmm, I know," he said, letting his breath puff over the head of that cock, looking up at Red with a grin as he slid his hand to grip around that hard flesh, starting to pump it, firm and slow, "now that ya had yer dinner... let's talk bout some dessert," Sans let his tongue slide over to lap up that bead of pre that he worked out of him, grip tightening up just a bit as he licked his mouth, "mmm... stars Red you taste so fuck'n good. Think I'mm have summore," he said in a husky tone, covering that cock in slight kisses, each time he did, feeling that angry tug at the corner of his psyche, but he persisted, humming until he'd kissed down almost every bit of that shaft, dragging his tongue back up and pumping so light and slow at it as he let his tongue trail some of it along the corner of his mouth. "Ah, fuck, baby... I love ya so much, you know dat?" Sans pressed another kiss to the tip fo that drooling beast, chuckling as he kept up the light pumping, "mmm... can't over do it though... docta's orders, ya know."

Torture. _Absolute torture_. His grip on the sheets was the only thing keeping him rooted to his spot as Sans teased in such a deliciously loving way, making his legs twitch and squirm in want. In _need_. His hips couldn't help but press up at those wonderful little kisses that had more of that sticky pre rolling down to stain the teeth and fingers of the lover that was already showing how well he knew the scarred and whimpering skeleton he had at his mercy. "Haaahn, _fuck_ , babyyyyy~! I l-love you _so_ much. You're a... f-fuckin' teasing lil asshole..." His desperate gaze locked onto Sans' face, his own covered in a wild grin. "And I fuckin' _love_ it. Haaaah. You got... n-no idea how... how fuckin' _yours_ I am, right now." His hips rolled into the slow pumping, wanting sooo much more, but knowing Sans was right. That he had to take it easy or he'd end up hurting himself again. But _stars_ what he wouldn't give to roll that sexy fucking skele over right now to break the bed beneath him in an attempt to convey exactly what he was doing to him. "Hoooh, baby. You're fuckin' _gorgeous_ , you know that? Just... hnnn, just fuckin' wait til I got this shit outta my neck. Don't gotta worry about breakin'. I'm gonna fuckin' wreck you so bad." He gave a hard, pointed thrust at the hand wrapped around him before settling back down into a more rhythmic pace. "I already feel bad for any fuckin' neighbors we're gonna have. Imma have you _screamin'_ my name, baby. Imma _show_ you how much I love you... and hnnn h-how fuckin' _sexy_ you are." HIs tongue curled around the corners of his mouth as he kept those bright red hearts locked on his lover's face, his toes curling as he felt that thick cock throbbing hard in the other's hand, the sticky juices flowing from the tip enough to coat his fingers and make the entirety of his shaft slick with excitement.

"Love you too, babe," he murmured against that lovingly tortured magic, still giving scarce little kisses at the warm flesh, moving with those rolling hips, flicking his tongue at times to get more of that slick, spicy-sweet pre he was making so much of for him, "I know, you're just gonna make me your bitch for days on end, mmm, Red? Make all I can do jus be a sleeve fer this tasty cock?" His tongue was slowly turning redder, while that cock was slowly gaining a bluer tinge, both going more into purple the longer he lapped along his lover, humming and starting to moan breathily at him. "Mmm, fuck, baby... you feel like you're jus gonna blow, an I ain't even got _started_ yet... you want my mouth so bad don't ya, Red?" His teeth closed in slow, gentle nibbles laong the shaft, up higher, still pumping, still probably far too light and slow to be anything but torment on that hard length. His fingers squeezed as they held down at the base of his cock, tongue making a wet path for his dick as Sans lowered his mouth over him, taking almost half before pulling back up, hand starting to jerk demandingly fast and hard. Sans left that thick magic on his tongue, looking up at Red with hearted eyelights as the dirty wet noises of his hand on that slick shaft had him shuddering to taste more. He didn't even hear the ringing snarls, he didn't feel the boiling presence... just Red. He let his strokes slow and slacken, before he took all of him down his throat, head bobbing as all he wanted was to get that lager monster cumming for him, hands guiding those thick legs closer to either side of his skull. Sans wanted his world to become just his lover, even if only for a few moments.

"Heheh, ya make it sound like I only wanna use ya as a cum dumpster. I want _way_ more than that. I wanna hear how bad ya _need_ it, baby." Even with his eyes going unfocused while being kept at the brink of pleasure he kept his words coherent and full of fire and lust. When his vision went too blurry to make out his lover's face, he let his sockets fall shut, simply basking in the feeling of his lover's touches that had him completely ignoring the sharp pain in one side of his neck. Somehow... it didn't feel nearly as powerful as before.  
 _'You're **really** going to choose this smooth-boned clone of **yourself** over **me**?!'_  
His breath became heavy, almost strained as he felt his peak growing near, that cock throbbing into the intense heat of his lover's mouth as he came so very close.  
 _'You disloyal dog... You said you would be mine **forever**. Then you cast me away when things got too hard for you.' _  
_Boss... You know I loved you._  
 _'Tch. I can see that.'_  
 _....I love him, too... And he'd never hurt me like you did._  
 _'.........Whatever.'_  
It felt like having a heavy weight lifted from his shoulders and with a gasp like he was taking a breath after drowning, he came, filling that increasingly violet mouth with that delicious red release. "Fu-huuuuck, baby!" His body trembled with his hips pressed up into that wanting mouth before his entire body slumped down onto the bed with a heavy sigh. "Fuck. Baby. Sansy..." He stared down at his lover for a long moment before reaching down and taking his skull in both hands to pull him up into a deep, lingering kiss in which he groaned at the taste of himself on that warm tongue. " I love you so much, baby. You're fuckin' _phenomenal_."

Sans slid up more as he felt his release, filling his mouth and letting only some drool out in bright red and violet along his chin and jaw, just so he could make a little show of licking it back into his mouth with a little moan as Red praised him. His rump wiggled as he used on hand to loosen his shorts down some. "Love you too, Red... an I ain't don with ya yet..." he murmured against that sharp mouth, leaning into another kiss, curling their tongues together in sensuous movements, hungry and almost pleading to love on the other more. To use his body to show just how bad ne needed the other monster. "Ya think I don't need ta be filled up witcha?" Sans breathed against his mouth, "that I haven't been goin' mad wantn to be all yers, baby?" Lifting up, arms crossing and pulling his shirt off, Sans' fingers trailed along his scarred arms, sliding them to his hips as he slowly was rolling his pelvis against that plump other belly, cock leaving streaks of light blue on his ectoform. He gave a shuddering gasp as he scooted back, feeling that head teasing his hole, sockets hooding shut with pleading noises. "Stars, Red... I fuck'n love ya, baby... I wanna make you so fuck'n happy... make ya feel as good as ya make me feel..." Sans wondered if he was playing with fire, so to speak... if those other spikes were causing him any pain, despite how his lover enjoyed it... he peered down at Red, eyelights in soft white hearts. "Ya doin okay, Red? Y'know... if ya think it's gonna cause problems... we can wait. I can wait. Oh stars I don't wanna... but I can."

Those soft hips were gripped and kneaded like dough as he pushed him along the tip of that needy cock, groaning at the feel of that tight hole giving just a bit. "Hnnnn, make me yours, Sansy. I don't... I don't feel nothin'... no pain, no anger... I think... I think we're okay right now." He leane din to nuzzle his nosebone against the other, those hearts reflected in the red before he growled and pushed a bit more insistently against that plump blue ass. "I love you, baby. I love you so _fuckin'_ much. I'm gonna fill ya with everything I got. Imma give it all to ya." He let out a heavy grunt as he pushed up again, that slick pre making him slide in a bit easier, but he still pulle dout with every little bit he gained, purposely teasing at his lover... and also not wanting to hurt him. "What about you? You doin' alright, gorgeous?" He nuzzled his face into the side of Sans' neck to nibble and kiss at the smooth bone before biting down in a moment of possession, pressing the head of that cock into his tight little hole with a heavy growl. When he released, he let out a heavy huff, licking at the bite mark he'd left and kissing at it before trailing his kisses down to his bared shoulder. "How'sat feel? Not pushin' ya too _hard_ am I?" He grinned against the smooth bone as he pulled back and pushed a little further, resting as he felt the tight muscles squeezing against his head and making him feel ready to pop all over again.

The feel of that hard magic against him had Sans just angling back onto it more, little gasps of pleasure leaving him as he listened to his lover. "All good, babe," he breathed, hearted eyelights gazing over Red with loving lust, gasping in for several moments as Red worked at him, hips shifting to make that cock stay in just a bit longer, go a little deeper. "Ah, fuck, Red... yer such a goddamn tease," he complained inbetween his pleading noises, "feels like ya ain't goin hard enough, baby!" he replied after the scarred monster seemed intent on driving him crazy right now. But he figured it was only fair, since he'd taken his sweet goddamn time sucking him off. "Push me harder," he chuckled, rolling his hips and sliding down mor eonf that hard shaft, "gimme all you got, Red. I fuckn _want_ it," Sans turned his head to claim another kiss on thise fangs, pressing his hips down to take more of is lover, not letting up until he was all the way in, giving a heated gasp as he settled agaisnt Red's pelvis. "F-fuck, baby... ya really are so much fuck'n bigger... _hah_... goddamn, Red... I fuck'n love it," he was already making soft, panting little moans, shifting on that cock before he started rising up again. "I _'member_... a certain someone... wonder'n how I'd look ridin' em..." Sans gave a pantingly laughing grin, sifting his brows as he moved, hands bracing on Red's forearms and using it as leverage to move himself over that stiff, thick cock. " _Aah_... fuck... you feel so fuck'n good, Red."

"Hah! You're one to talk, ya lil cocktease! At least I only make ya wait a minute instead of fuckin' hours." He held his lover back as long as he could, tilting his hips back when the other would go to push down, giving him as much of a fight as he could until he'd finally managed to seat himself and sweet _stars_ was it heaven. He let his whole body shift lightly into the movement as he rolled his hips harder into his lap, making sure to go excruciatingly slow as he grinned up at that beautiful sight looming over him. "You look even better'n I imagined, sweetheart. Like you were fuckin' meant to be right here in my lap." He gave a quick, hard thrust up into his lover, snarling softly to himself before going back to slowly rocking his hips. "Mmmm, I also remember someone sayin' somethin' about doctor's orders... so we'll have to take this nice and slow, baby... but don't worry, your boy Red's gonna take _real_ good care o' ya." His grip on those hips tightened as he slowly slid him up and down that shaft, his skull thunking against the headboard as his breathing went deep and heavy, those bright red hearts only leaving his lover's face to trail over the rest of his body. Once he got the other moving in that rhythm, he brought one hand around, sliding it around that fat blue cock and using the slick liquid it was already spreading all over their bellies to slide his less than smooth fingers slowly up and down his shaft. "Mmmmm, feels like someone's enjoyin' himself. How is it, gorgeous?"

"Ah fuck, Red," he panted, moving over that warm erection as he bit his lower lip, grunting softly, "Red... goddamn I fuck'n love you, you're so fuckn good ta me baby," he groaned, leaning back just a bit to put more of his weight on that thick cock, tongue starting to dip past is teeth. He hummed out low as he felt that hand around his cock, bucking into it with a gasp, the way he tightened around Red letting him know in no uncertain terms that he was having a great fucking time on that cock. His words devolved just to moaning Red's name, hips rolling and rising in his lap as the tempo started to pick up speed, along with his needing noises. "Fuck... Red, fuck," he almost whined, his panting gaining in need as he was coating that hand in blue, "oh fucking stars, baby..." Sans never wanted to come down off his lover, feeling that thick length hitting all the right places, his sockets hooded in delight. Rising up to feel just how empty it would be without the larger skeleton inside him, rotating is hips to let the head tease at his hole, then taking it back in again just as nice and slow as Red had suggested. "Mmmph, Red... how the fuck did I ever stay off this dick?"

"Thaaat's it, baby. Don't fuckin' hold out on me now." That voice went deep and husky with desire as he let Sans have his way with him while pumping that cock at a nice, slow pace that started to match the other's as he slowed down to take it slow. "Mmmmm, yeah. There ain't no rush. You got the rest o' your life to fuck me, Sansy. Anytime you want it, it's yours. I don't care if we're in the middle of a crowded room, I'll fuck ya right up against a wall if you ask for it." He gave that increasingly slick cock a squeeze before ever so slightly picking up the pace, waiting for his lover to match it before increasing it just a bit more, repeating the pattern until he was driving that broken, battered skeleton wild. He pressed his heels into the mattress to brace himself as he fucked harder up into that deliciously plump figure, the hand on his hip sliding back to that ass and gripping it tightly as he started ramming himself in as deep as he could, grunting and groaning as he fought his release. "Fuck, baby, your ass feels so _good_! So fuckin' tight... I dunno... h-how long I'mma last if ya keep this up." Hot, panting breaths washed over Sans' sternum as he pressed his brow against his chin, sockets falling shut as he concentrated on bringing his lover over the brink with him, wanting so bad to make him feel amazing.

His moans turned louder as Red's thrusts were going into it, ass flexing to tighten around him when he'd hilt, gripping at his arms and moving a bit harder, his own cock twitching with his impending release. "Red... oh fuck... Red cum in me baby, Red your cock's so fuck'n good, I love you Red," Sans panted in time with their movements, sockets hooding shut as his body jerked, gasping as he felt that first high of his peak, then it bacame a gutteral moan, drawing out right as he pushed himself down on his lap, hips grinding in place as he came on his belly and hand. His sounds turned a bit higher, panting out little gasps as he rocked over that length, shuddering and feeling the relaxation of a good orgasm creeping in. "Oh fuck, Red..." he murmured, his body still giving flickering twitches of pleasure, "I can only imagine what you're gonna do ta me when ya ain't hold'n back..." he said with a chuckle, a stupid grin curving his features as he moved just ever so slightly over that thick cock, hearted gaze meeting his lover's, "fuck'n got me the sexiest boyfriend. Knows jus how I like it, dontcha baby?"

As soon as he felt that blue cock twitch, he let himself go, crying out as he gave another hard twitch at that hilting and filled that tight ass to the brim. "Fu _uuuck_ , Sansy!" It felt like tension he didn't even know he had was melting out of him as he relaxed, though after taking a moment to catch his breath, he gave that softened blue cock another squeeze and slid his hand up to his mouth, admiring the color for a second before licking it clean with a happy groan. "Holy shit... you taste _way_ better'n me, baby. Like some kinda fruity cream." With a playful glimmer in his eye, he slid the hand behind his lover's head and pulled him into a tongue-twisting kiss to let him get a taste of that sweet and spicy _cock_ tail. "Everything about you's amazing... I dunno how _I_ got so lucky, but fuckin' hell... I got me the most spectacular goddamn boyfriend in the Underground. In this universe and any other. Nobody could ever come close to ya." He smirked and pressed his hips more snugly up into that ass while his hand gave it a nice, firm swat. "Well, 'cept me, of course." He brought both hands to the side of that smooth, sweet face and held him close as he pressed their brows together, letting those bright red hearts look deep into the sockets of his lover. "I love you _so_ much, baby... and I'm gonna make sure to show ya that every day for the rest of your life."

Basking in those moments with his lover, Sans nuzzled his brow to that heavily scarred one, fingers sliding along his ribs, their bellies pressed in snug together, even as he was trying to keep seated on that cock. "Heh, I'll give ya fruity cream anytime baby," he murmured, kissing the corner of Red's mouth near the gold fang before he hummed, pushing up just enough to look ove rhis neck, "them fuck'n things didnt' bug ya too bad did they, Red?" he asked, almost needing to know he'd been alright throughout their lovemaking. He hadn't heard anything, nor did it smell off or seem to look any different... but he wasn't certain. Petting along Red's ribs, he sighed as he wriggled his hips, feeling that thick magic still buried in him. "Almost a shame ta get offa ya, Red. Ya feel just'bout right, right where ya are," he chuckled, gazing down at his boyfriend with adoring lust in his eyelights, "mmm, glad ya liked yer dinner, babe. Didn't do much of it, helped wit' cuttin' things up an such." Humming into another kiss, he lingered to pepper kisses along his mouth and face, feeling just so at east with everything that he almost forgot there was even anything to worry about. "Love you wit all ah me, Red," Sans whispered agains this earhole, giving another light kiss against the bone.

His hand lifted up to rub against the metal still in his neck and he lifted a brow at how cool it felt. "N-no... not at all, actually. I didn't feel anythin'... I think he mighta just... I dunno, fucked off. For now, at least." His entire body tensed when he felt those hips wiggling against him and he gave a growl as he pressed his up into a teasing little kiss. "You fit like a fuckin' glove. So nice and tight I can still feel ya stretching around me... but ya keep that shit up and I'm either gonna hafta toss ya or fuck ya till ya can't wiggle anymore." He let his sockets fall shut as he was assaulted with those little affectionate kisses, his soul lighting the area with a soft red glow as he relaxed in everything that was Sans. "Mmmm, think I liked dessert even better... I'll learn how to make you any kinda dinner you want, too. Then give ya a tasty cream pie for dessert." He chuckled until he heard those words whispered agains thim, making his expression go soft as he turned to nuzzle against Sans' shoulder, affectively hiding his face. "Fuck... I'm never gonna get tired o' hearin' that. You have _no_ idea how good it feels, baby. To finally hear someone _say_ it to me... and to be able to say it back. I love you, Sans. I love you more than anything in the world. You're mine and I'm yours and I'll do whatever it takes to keep it that way forever."

Just to be a shit, he wriggled some more before he sighed and decided that they probably shouldn't test it for now, especially if Red was going to get any actual -recovering- done before morning. Arching himself up off that cock, he shuddered out a low groan, feeling those juices leaking down out of him. "Holy shit, baby... you really did get ta mark yer territory, didn'tcha? Bet I'll smell lika ya fer a week jus off this one," he said, giving his lover a wink before he slid to the side, cuddled up against his ribs, cheek pillowed on that marred shoulders. "Ain't gonna fuckn -stop- say'n ti anytime soon, neither. Love ya Red, and fuck'n won't let ya forget it." Giving a small, almost peeping ywan, he shifted his head to crack his neck, giving another little sigh as he felt his body just relaxing. "I love ya so much Red," Sans said, feeling his sockets tugging lower, even as he resisted just a bit, wanting a few more moments with the other monster. Just getting to enjoy simply -being- there with him.  



	16. Which Hurts Less?

_"Knock. Knock. Who's there?"_   
Ah not this shit again, can't you fuck'n leave off?   
_"Hehehe, so rude, Sans. And I came allll~ this way just to see you."_  
Yeah, well thanks but no thanks, kid, get the hell outta here b'fore I stop bein' such a fuckn nice guy.   
_"Heheehehe, you think you can fool me, pretending you're not still just a broken little -piece of shit-, Sans... you still wanna make everything -better- ... wanna see your lil brother again, wanna not let Alphys cry herself to sleep every night wishing she were dead too-"_   
Fuck'n shut up!   
_"-and you think he's gonna survive all this. He's gonna bleed out on the table, and ALphys will blame herself~ she'll finally fall down too and you'll be to blame."_  
Shut up shut up-  
"SHUT UP!" he damn-near screeched, again summoing a blaster in the middle of the night, tears coursing down his face as his eyelights flickered cyan in the dark. Realizing he'd done it again, he covere dhis head in his hands, gripping his skull with sobs as the dragonesque skull faded away. " _Fuck_."

Even with his body covered in that mess of blue, he was out before his head hit the pillow, his hand almost instinctively hunting down the other's to lace their fingers together as they cuddled. The sleep wasn't dreamless, but for once it wasn't nightmareish either.  
stars, Boss... you look so fuckin'-...  
 _'Shut the hell up, Sans. You know flattery won't get you anywhere with me.'_  
Yet there was still a cluch on those sharp cheekbones as he tightened the rope around his wrists until it was nearly excruciating, making him writhe and moan softly to himself until he took the back of his brother's hand to his face. _'None of that now. How many times must I remind you to be quiet?'_  
s-s-sorry, Boss...  
He stared at the wall for a few long moments before turning to watch his brother tie his legs together methodically. Perfectly. Everything about him was perfect. And he'd claimed Sans as his own. He screwed his sockets shut as he felt his soul beginning to glow in his chest, but if his brother had seen it, he didn't say anything... though he could swear the binds on his ankles got just a bit tighter.  
 _'Now... we're not going to have a repeat of last night, are we?'_  
n-no, Boss...  
 _'Good. Because if I hear so much as a peep out of you, I'll be sure to make the following days **very** painful for you.' _  
...yes, Boss...  
The look on his face as he'd taken the bound skeleton was... _perfect_. He groaned in his sleep, his hips shifting as the the blanket rubbed against his eager member, incoherent words tumbling quietly from his mouth until there was a shout right next to his head and his sockets shot open in alarm.  
"Whussit, Boss?!" He fought with the blanket as he pulled himself up into a sitting position and looked around for the danger before catching sight of the blaster, his sockets going almost comically wide until he saw the source. _Fuck. Right. Sans._ "Shshshh... It's alright, baby. It's alright. Jussa nightmare." He could feel himself relax a bit as the skull faded from existence and he moved in closer to wrap his arms around the smaller skele. "I'm right here, baby. You're alright. I gotcha." With one arm tightly curled around his lover, the other stroked gently along his spine to comfort him until he calmed back down, more than willing to spend as much time as it took to make him feel safe again. He was ready to spend the rest of his life doing exactly this, if that's what it took. He'd never leave him alone to be consumed by his nightmares. To be turned into the empty, unfeeling shell of a monster Red had become before he'd come here.

Sans shook his his embrace, feeling like he'd never calm down, even as the touches and words were steadily soothing away the fear and agony that had his soul clench tight in his chest. That had him scream silently until he couldn't hear anything but the ringing of a blade on bone in his head. "Fuck... fuck I'm sorry, Red..." he stammered, still holding his head as he kept his sockets squeezed shut, "they're get'n worse. Harder ta... ta remember they're jus nightmares. Fuck," he let the word out slow and heavy, as if it were taking everything he had to not just give in. He leaned into Red, taking in his scent, trying to just focus on what he had right in front of him. The good he had right here in bed beside him. Stars, he wanted to forget about what he coudln't do shit about anymore. The guilt that wore him out until he was afraid to drift off, even after having been so fucking happy and content in Red's arms. "I wish they'd just stop. That you didn't have ta deal with this shit, Red..." he already sounded so defeated, his tears still staining his cheeks as he looked up at his boyfriend. "I know, I know, I'm being stupid... you wanna help. You know how I feel... it's just... fuck, I feel like I'm just makin' shit hard on ya." He hand went up to rub along a humerus, looking down at the dark bedding. "I hate it, Red. I hate that I can't even let ya sleep. Ya need yer rest... yer hurt an... I jus keep making it worse."

While he let his boyfriend panic himself out, he kept up the soft stroking, just letting him vent all the anger and frustration he needed to. Once it seemed like he was done, he took Sans' hand and rested it on his sternum until it was pressing against one of the more prominent scars. "I forgot to cook dinner one night." He slid that hand down to one of his missing ribs and let both of their thumbs rub against the messy but mostly dulled down break. "I was spendin' too much time at Grillby's." He brought those fingers down to a heavy fracture in his spine that felt like it had been nearly snapped in half. "I... was too loud when we fucked." His hand trembled on the last one before he brought his hand back up to cup Sans' hand, tipping his face closer until he could see those teary eyes. "I'm fine. If the nightmares never get better... you can still bet your ass, I'll be right here to hold ya and tell ya everything's alright. That it's just nightmares. That _no one_ will ever fuckin' hurt ya again. You can fuckin' count on that, baby." He leaned up to press a kiss against Sans' brow, letting it linger as he simply basked in the warmth of the other's body curled up to his. "You don't ever need to apologize for somethin' ya can't control. If I didn't wanna be here for you, I wouldn't be. But I do. I ain't just here for the good times, Sans. I'm here for _all_ of it, no matter what. I _love_ you." He shifted his face down again to look at that tear-stained face, bringing his hand over to wipe them away the best he could before pressing a gentle kiss to his teeth.

Hearing how and why he got the scars, the breaks, the poorly mended wounds... Sans hiccuped out several more sobs, a creeping shame coming into the back of his mind, telling him he was weak and pathetic and -worthless- ... then Red was reassuring him. Telling him everything he needed ot hear, and everything he knew wasn't just because he needed ot hear it. That he said it because he meant it, and his hsoulders shook with more tears, leaning into his kiss with a gasped, held breath. His eyelights looked up at his lover, his companion. The only one he could tell anything and everything. "It's always the fuck'n kid," he said, voice thin and low, "taunt'n me... tellin me about how they can take you away. How they took Pap, and it's my fault. That I'm the reason all of it happened. That I could'a... st-stopped it." He had to loose a few more wracked sobs, pressing the hell of his palm into a socket. "That you're gonna die, that Al wants ta die, that... that I can't do nothin without hurt'n anyone." Sans cried himself hoarse, his voice finally turning into more pained gasps until he felt like he couldn't talk. He shook his head, quietly whispering out. "I love you. An I ain't gonna... l-let this shit win. Ya... ya deserve ta know that... I'm gonna keep fight'n it. Cuz I ain't leavin' you alone, either, baby. Ya ain't losin' me, Red."

"Good. 'Cause that kid's a fuckin' liar and even sobbin' like a babybones, you're still the most gorgeous fuckin' thing I've ever seen." He let his hands slowly wipe the tears away, letting fresh ones fall before he'd wipe again, kissing gently at his cheeks and slowly returning the small assault from earlier, making sure to kiss every bit of him that he could. "You know what coulda stopped it all? The kid decidin' not to be a genocidal asshole. You didn't hurt everybody. _They_ did. And even if you _had_ killed 'em, then what? They woulda just fuckin' Reset and kept goin' until they got past you, too, right? In the end, it woulda turned out the same, 'cept you'd be dead, too and..." He felt his own sockets getting wet as he squeezed his lover closer, not even wanting to think about the world without his Sans in it. "...I never woulda gotten to meet you. I'd still be... j-just a fuckin' _husk_ of who I used ta be. I had most of the good beat outta me, then everything that was left died when... when I..." He felt his voice dying in his throat. If he was going to tell him, it was now or never... "Wh-when I...killed Paps..." His fingers curled tightly against Sans' ribs as he screwed his sockets shut, tears rolling down his face as his whole body shook in his attempt to hold back the harsh sobbing. He was supposed to be comforting Sans... now he wouldn't be surprised if he couldn't stand the sight of him.

His voice was probably the most soothing thing in the universe to the smaller monster, laxing into his hands as he wiped tears away, cheek to his shoulder when he held him close. His own fingers gripped those scarred, broken and badly set ribs, holding him in as he heard... Sans felt something in him stab, a knife that was and wasn't there, and he choked out a pained sob. Feeling the heavy crimson tears like blood falling across his cheek, looking up at that larger monster, at every gouge and wound and scar. At the way he sounded. At the absolute pain Sans imagined it had taken out of Red. More than every wound, more than any amount of breaks or beatings. His own voice was quiet, throat hurting, but needing to say it. "It hurt more than anythin," he said, his voice almost a wheeze of quiet breath, "didn't it? Yer kid wasn't... was good... an... ya did what ya had to. Ya said... his LV, it got ta where he couldn't... be reasoned with..." Sans choked back another sob, feeling it sting all over, soul clenched tight, and he shivered as he imagined what lengths Red had gone to, what he'd put up with... the pain he'd endured. "It wasn't him anymore. The Royal Guard... took him away and made him somethin he'd never of been..." Sans choked, coughing as his throat hurt too much to talk anymore, hiw voice having gone sparse and rasping. He looked at Red, and he hoped his eyelights said more than he could in words. That he wasn't going to lose him.

The fact that Sans was still talking to him was enough to make him break, those tears falling freely as he quietly cried to himself, refusing to look in the other's eyes until he'd stopped speaking, the sight of those eyelights locking with his making him fall in love all over again. Gripping those ribs even more tightly, he pulled him into a kiss full of warmth and unspoken promises of love and loyalty until the end of time. Once he finally calmed down enough to think straight, he leaned back and wiped his face clean, feeling a flush of embarassment for letting himself get to broken up in the first place. "It... it wasn't 'cause of the kid. It happened _years_ before they came around. It, um..." He looked into those eyes again and sat up a bit straighter, tipping his chin up to expose the wounds on his neck, that metal glinting like an eye full of hatred. "It was more... for self-preservation. Him or me. He... he thought I was fuckin' Grillby again and went into a jealous rage. I took off the collar he'd given me ages ago... fuckin' threw it at him. I was _pissed_ that he'd even fuckin' _question_ my loyalty. After everythin' I put up with I was fuckin' _done_. I dunno how I thought he'd react... Fuckin' kick me out... or kick my ass or somethin'... He fuckin' picked up my collar and..." His hand reached up to touch the metal and he hissed as it sent a shock of electricity through him. " _Fuck_!" He shook his hand until it stopped tingling, then slipped it behind his lover and held him tight. "I was gonna die. I knew I was. _He_ knew I was... I always kinda thought if it came down to it... I'd wanna die.... but... I didn't. I wanted to fuckin' live... so..." His face was buried into Sans' shoulder as he went quiet, thinking back to when it happened... still feeling completely numbed to it now. It had played in his head constantly for months afterwards... He hadn't been able to function. It continued to play every night for years... Right up until he'd ended up where he was now. He couldn't recall exactly when he'd stopped hurting... Just that he'd never gotten over it. He'd never healed. He'd only gone numb.

Sans listened, knowing his voice was useless right now, but he could still listen. Those spikes glaring at him, telling him more about how much Red had endured, the scars only proving again and again what he'd had done to him... the things he'd tolerated, up til the point wher ehe'd had enough. When he touched the metal, and it shocked hi, Sans' only thought was to help. To soothe, just as he'd been soothed, for no reason but because it was what he wanted for his lover. To help mend the hurts. He hugged Red in tighter than he thought he ever could, shaking with silent, dry sobs as he held him. Refused to let go, even as he fell silent. In his head, he saw his own Papyrus, sweet and loving, full of life and energy and love. He imagined that being twisted, worn down in front of him. Being turned into something hard and angry, striking out, hate glaring from his sockets, the way that angry rage that had sweltered out around them both whenever they had gotten close the last few days. That had cursed and beaten him, even as much as he'd loved him. As much as Sans could imagine, could try to understand the amount of anguish Red had taken... it was hard to put it as Papyrus' hand that had caused it. The scars told him otherwise, the sorrow and regret in Red's voice, how afraid he'd been of even telling him. "You're... okay," Sans croaked, his voice almost too harsh and rasping, but he held Red tight, "h-he... wasn't Paps... anymore."

HIs hand went almost automatically to the heavy crack over his head, thinking of the last time he'd actually _called_ him Paps. "Yeah... by then he was... he just 'Boss'... and I was just somethin' that belonged to him. More like... a pet. Nah, even a pet wouldn't go through what I did... I was just some... some toy... to fuckin' entertain him after a long day." The hand at Sans' back dug in harshly as he tried to hold back the tears, but it was no use. His whole body shook as he sobbed, wrapping both arms around him again as he held him tight, not wanting anyone to see his face. To see those tears that burned shame all down his body. "Don't... d-don't ever fuckin' apologize. For the nightmares, for feelin' like ya coulda done more. Not to me. You've given me more than I ever could've imagined... I didn't... I didn't think I could ever _be_ loved... that anyone would ever want me to love 'em. But you took me in with open arms and showed me more love and acceptance in a few days than he ever had. I love you, Sans. I loved him, too, but fuckin' _stars_ I can't tell ya enough how much I love bein' able to _tell_ you. I love you." He turned and nuzzled his face into the other's neck as he started pushing him back on the bed while keeping him firmly in that embrace. "I love you. I love you. I love you so _fuckin'_ much, baby." He finally lifted his head, kissing all over Sans' face again, even as bright red tears rolled down his face and over the bright grin that covered it when he stopped to look down at his lover. His boyfriend. His Sans. "I love you."

Sans' hand stroked along the back of that marred skull, tipping his head to plant kisses along him as best he could while being bundled up against, after feeling how tight he held to him, crying into his neck. He needed this, almost as much as Red needed it. To feel like he was doing something besides hurt, or take, or waste. He settled down under the other, hands sliding to cup that tear-streaked face, gazing up with all the love and acceptance he could convey, blue soul glowing through his ribs. Sans looke dup at Red, seeing how broken both of them were, feeling like they could lean against one another, keep each other from falling or falling apart. "I love... you too," he rasped, almost silently whispered, moving a hand to his own strnum, his soul moving into his grasp. He held it up to his lover, sockets still overflowing with tears. "With... all of me." Sans was tired and worn, sore and feeling like he'd been wrung out, but he wanted to show Red even moreso, how much he loved him. To let him feel it. Just as he had, to open his soul to the other. Everything of him was broken and lonely, desparingly guilty for never having done more... but even then, Red had given him purpose. Had come to him just as e'd felt death touch him for the first time, and he wanted to live. He wanted to see the iron collar removed, to see the underground heal from the tragedy, and to be there, hand in hand with Red, as it built itself back up. Made the dreams of sun and stars come alive again, even though e knew he didn't care if he saw it or not. He'd eard Grillby talk about them, from before the War, before the Barrier... but he just needed a reason to keep going. Red and given him a reason, and a way.

Red blinked back his tears when he saw that blue glow, lifting a hand to wipe his face clean again before staring in wonder at the sight before him. The love. The trust that such an act conveyed was beyond comprehension for him. It wasn't just words. This was a show of just home much Sans loved him and he could barely stand how much joy it sent shooting through his entire being. Slowly, that tear-stained hand reached out, his fingertips gently grazing over the very surface of that beautiful soul before cupping around it and bringing it close enough to kiss. "I'm here. To love and protect you. Now and forever. You are mine and I am yours. Until the end of time." A shiver ran down his spine as he pressed another gentle kiss to the surface of that gently glowing soul, letting all of the emotions his lover felt wash over him like a tidal wave. He felt them all and didn't falter, simply basked in the trust that all of it signified. When he broke the kiss, he took a deep breath as if he'd broken the surface of the ocean, his bright gaze turning to watch his lover's as he brought the soul down towards his own sternum where his soul was already extracting itself from his chest.

He hesitated, watching Sans' face before leaning down to rest his brow against the other's, feeling his soul pounding against his chest in excitement, curiosity and a hint of worry... He'd never done anything like this before and... wasn't certain what would happen and yet... It felt like the most natural thing in the world to do. When the surfaces of their souls met, it was like opening the door to everything that was Red. His emotions, his memories, the darkness that he was constantly trying to hide behind that lazy grin. Everything was laid bare for his lover. "Sansy." That name was barely a whisper riding on the torrent of everything he could feel flowing between their joined souls, but to him it felt like the only anchor keeping him there in the moment. Keeping him from slipping back to a past full of dust and tears. "I'm all yours."

He'd almost expected the sharp fangs to feel hard, perhaps a little uncomfortable, against his soul, but they were warm and loving, a caress that had him in tears again as he locked gazes with Red. The swell of their souls touching was blissful, beyond anything sexual or physical that they had shared. It was their magic gripping and winding against and to one another, feeling the very life of each other, sharing all the things that made them who they were. Sans' raw pain was soothed in the numbness, and in turn, Red was given another chance to look at what he'd gone numb to. To heal instead of ignore and hide. It let Red feel that Sans had forgiven him for what he'd never forgiven himself for, that he'd seen the blind spots Red had been circling in vain, and could understand, even if he could never had done it. Even if his initial reaction, to the thought of anyone hurting Papyrus, was tempered in the knowledge that it wasn't Papyrus. It had been a shell, a husk that had rotted from the inside because of the hellish world they had been living in. "Red," he replied, his fingers curling to grip along the outside of his hand, where those souls met, "I was always yours," he said, a soft whisper against the scarred bone, kissing where their hands met. Red would feel the flagging energy of that cyan soul, holding patiently loving to the crimson one, but oh so tired. So ready to try to sleep again, there with his lover to protect him.

A gentle purring growl rumbling in his chest as he kissed at Sans' skull, feeling all of the pain and sadness in his soul melting into the comfort and joy his lover provided with his words, if not just his presence alone. "Stars... I never thought... I could be this happy..." He shifted carefully to the side to lie beside him, slowly letting his hand shift away from the souls as they held desperately to each other, his face lighting up in the soft red glow of his entire being's happiness. "Never thought... even in an alternate fuckin' universe... I could be so... loveable..." His voice began to trail off as their excitement died down and those souls seemed to emanate a sleepy comfort that had the bulky skeleton's sockets slowly falling shut, as much as he tried to fight it to watch the beautiful face beside his while his arms wrapped around him and hugged his lover closer. "Mmmmn... my boyfriend... my lover... lifemate... love of my life..." There was barely a hint of red peeking from the slits of his sockets before they finally fell closed, though the huge grin on his face didn't seem to be wavering anytime soon.


	17. Voices

Sans had a good, dreamless sleep, groaning as his phone went off with the alarm he'd had enough forethought to set. If they wanted to get to the lab on time, he'd given them enough for three snoozes, which he set the first one and curled himself back into Red's embrace. Their souls lingered just inside their sternums, but he could still feel all of his Red, as if those magic cores were still pressed snug together. His fingers trailed a light path over the pinkish stains on that scarred face, knowing his own bore similar pale blue ones. Tipping his head to press their brows together, Sans took advantage of their snooze, just glowingly happy to have that larger monster there. Hie lifemate, Red had said, and dear stars it made his soul pulse to think it. "Love you," he murmured, kicking the second snooze into place and snuggling up again. He figured they could eat on the walk over, being cuddled up in bed was way more important than sitting down for breakfast. At least right now.

The feel of those finger son his face tickled enough to make it twitch, though he didn't seem to wake up until he heard those words, his mouth curling in a soft, sleepy smile as one socket cracked open to peer over at his lover. "Love you, too, gorgeous. 'Sit mornin' already?" His body tensed in a small stretch before he pulled himself over ontop of the smaller skele, tugging the blanket over both of their heads as if attempting to hide from the world. He gave a bit of a grunt and seemed to be fidgeting before he shifted his legs in between Sans' and pressed in until he had the other straddling his lap. With a lecherous grin on his face, he snuggled up on his lover, nestling his skull against his shoulder as he teasingly pressed his hips in to grind against the pelvis in front of him. "Mmmm, now _this_ is how I wanna wake up for the rest of my life. With a sexy fuckin' skele at my side. Or underneath me. Whichever." His laugh was soft and deep as he leane dup to kiss along his jaw until he came to his mouth, pressing one kiss, then another to thats weet mouth before letting his tongue flicker out to taste him, though it lasted only a moment before he finally lifted up onto his knees, the blanket falling back as he stretched his arms up towards the ceiling. "Hnnnnn, _fuck_ that's good!" He groaned as his spine popped in several places, then again as he twitsted his skull gingerly side to side, bringing a hand down to make sure the sealasnt was still holding up nicely. "Mmmm, how long we got 'til we gotta head out? 'Cause, uh... pretty sure we're gonna wanna shower before we head over to see Al."

Chuckling as he was bundled up and rubbed on alongside those kisses, Sans cupped Red's face and returned the affections with a similar playfulness, wriggling as he hooked his legs around the bulkier monster. "Or on ya," he said with another slightly rough chortle, his throat still a little sore form the night before. He folded his arms over his chest and grinned up at his partner, eyelights going to the pale-coated wound. It looked like it was still holding up, and when Red mentioned the shower, he actually facepalms with a groan. "Fuck, gotta get up now, then... fergot 'bout that lil detail." He unhooked one leg to start sliding to the other side, though when he sat up, he grabbed Red by the collarbone and shoulder, dragging him in for another kiss, then murmured against his mouth. "I love ya, Red. Al's gonna come through fer us," he said, looking up, his eyelights in small white hearts, before he stretched as well, sliding out of the bed on unsteady legs, wobbling before he caught thenearest wall. "Damn, baby. Think ya mighta done a number or two on me, heh." He was almost to the bathroom when he gave a broad yawn, hating having to be up already. Why couldn't Al have said -lunch- instead of breakfast? Ah, well.

"I know it. The girl can shove a ghost into a body, she's gotta be able to yank one out, too, right?" He snorted as he watched his lover move out from under him, tempted to hold him there until he saw the way he wobbled and complained about the effects of the rigorous lovemaking... He sat up and watched with a bemused grin as he wobbled his way towards the bathroom, thinking about just how incaoacitated he'd be one he didn't have to worry about breaking. With a damn-near predatory growl, he slipped form the bed and stalked after his wounded prey, keeping his movement slow and and smooth until they were both in the shower. He turned the water on hot to let it soak into their bones, groaning softly at how good it felt on his sore body, then his crimson gaze turned to Sans with a hungry curl in his smile. He moved in close, pressing their sternums together until he had the other pinned to the wall, his hands slowly trailing down his lover's arms as he nuzzled his face into his neck and nibbled at it, his fingers curling around the other's wrists before pinning them up over his head, those fangs sinking in gently before in a very pointedly possessive manner as he growled, the deep sound vibrating through both of their bodies. Then he released him and kissed at the slight marking he'd left, his hands running loveingly up and down his arms before moving to his ribs to massage the soft white bone. "Mmmm, _fuck_... Just lookin' at ya makes it awfully _hard_ not to have breakfast right here and now... But I'm sure we don't want Al askin' why you're walkin' so funny after we show up late."

"Fuck'n hell, Red," he said, trying to sound scolding and failing, just with the way his voice wavered from the lovebite, shivering even in the hot shower, sockets hooding with a chuckle as he shifted to caress at his ribs, "I imagine she'd be too shy ta ask, babe. But she'd know fer damn sure why." His arms drape dover those slightyl-higher shoulders, gazing up with a crooked grin. "We'll see what all she can do tday, Red. Then when yer all healed up... we'll have a _real good time_ ta celebrate." Sans tipped a kiss to his lower teeth, making an almost-growling purr of enjoyment. He took a few more minutes of just getting to relax in the water with the other skeleton before he sighed and go to to the boring business of getting all the fun cleaned off them. The little lavender soaps were decimated by today's wash, and he rubbed the lathered cloth over Red's cheeks several times until the pinkish tracks were gone from the slightly off-greyed bone. "Got ya look'n all pretty again, baby," he said as he was almost done, taking a moment to give that healing wound and the sealant some particularly special attention. Alphys had left the outer edges open, a fine crust of rust-red marrow being around where the white stopped and the bone started, but as far back as he coudl tell, it looked like they'd somehow managed to not get anything inside it. He ran the damp cloth gingerly around the inverted cone, just in case, and dabbed at the scabbing on the rim.

Those hands never stopped touching his lover, even as his face scrunched at the feel of being scrubbed clean, his fingers idly toying with his hips and ribs in an obviously distracting way until he was done cleaning him off. " _Psh_. Not _nearly_ as pretty as you, gorgeous." He took the cloth and made sure to get his lover just as clean, marveling at just how white those bones could get when he got all the excess color off of him. With a gentle whine, he looked over at the handle to turn the water off, then to the door to leave, then up to his lover, looking entirely conflicted about actually ending their bath, knowing they'd have to get dressed and leave the room, even if he _knew_ it was for a good cause. With a defeated sigh, he turned and shut the water off, but instead of leaving, he moved to pin his boyfriend to the wall again looking like he wasn't going to let him leave... then he slipped his hands down to his femurs and easily lifted him up to carry him, waiting until he had his arms around his neck for stability to turn and leave the shower and take him back to the bedroom. "Heheh, don't need ya fallin' over before we get dressed." He very carefulyl set the other on the bed, still dripping wet, before he fetched a clean towel and began to dry his lover off, taking his sweet time to admire that flawless bony body. "Stars... you got no idea how fuckin' gorgeous ya are, do ya?" He peered up with an earnest smile on his face, blushing profusely before he leane din to steal a quick kiss then turn around to dry himself off so he could get dressed again.

" _Pffft_ ," Sans chuckled, squirming as Red held him to the wall a moment, then was flushing a pretty blue as he was being carried, a small yelp sounding at the sudden lift, arms going to his shoulders, careful to not touch the metal in his neck. He didn't think their day would go as well if he got a shock off one of those fucking things. The bed was probably dyed purple forever by now, running a hand over a smear of dark crimson that his lover had left once he'd turned to get himself dry. Sans found a spot where the blue started, making a melded purple line that expanded into a growing splotch. Part of him wanted to take the stained thing with them when they finally found a place, it'd just get thrown out or pelted with cleaner until little evidence remained of what all the covers and sheets had witnessed. By the time he'd snapped back out of his little reverie Red was getting his shorts back on, and again, he was thinking about how they'd be setting up their own place, once they found it. Once Red was really on the mend from whatever it took to get those spikes out of his neck. He almost forgot he needed to get dressed too, but he'd finished drying off by the time he got off the now-damp bed to get his turn to start pulling on clothes. Part of him wondered if he'd even bother going back to get anything from the old house, or if he'd just... give up all of it. There wasn't anything there that couldn't be replaced, and he shrugged as he got his shirt on. It had a fresh mustard stain along the bottom hem, and he chuckled as he picked at the gross scab of dark yellow. He didn't really care, so much as the fact that he knew he didn't drink the stuff, so Red had gottne it on him. _Not the first thing he's gotten on me, heh... or the last._ The thought had a dreamy sort of grin go over Sans' features.

Those bright crimson orbs caught sight of Sans flaking off the bit of yellow, causing Red to perk a curious brow as he moved closer and noticed what the stain was. "Geez, looks like I can't keep my stains off ya." With a snort, he pulled Sans in close to kiss him, letting it linger with a hungry growl before he force dhimself to release his loverboy, knowing if he lingered he wouldn't want to let go at all. He move dover to his coat and shoes, pulling them on rather begrudgingly before moving to the door and waiting for the other to come along before opening it up and bowing as he let him through first. "Hmmm... if everythin' goes well today and I'm feelin' good tomorrow... wanna go house huntin'? Not that I don't like this swanky hotel, but... I dunno... guess I'm just... maybe... y'know... e-excited to get our life together started." He turned his face as he felt it heating up, trying to ignore the way the metal implanted in his bone began to heat up as well. With one hand shoved into his pocket, he let the other reach over to take his lover's, lacing their fingers together before finally turning to look at him again, his smile soft and the most affectionate express he could muster and even with his layers of clothing, it was easy to tell that the soul within him was burning brightly for Sans.

The added comment had him chortle in his not-belly, winking at Red as they both got their respective shoes and coats on, glad to feel those fingers laced with his own. "Yeah, we'll see what the doc says yer allowed ta do," he said as they started along the hall. His own soul could tell it's sounterpart was just beaming, and his fluttered with excitement. "Heh, guess we'll both getta _New Home_ eh babe?" he said, and when they reached the lower floor, they ran across the Gyftrot from the night before - he had a platter balanced neatly on his antlers, looking very pleased with himself, almost annoyingly so. But he offered up a friendly good morning, actually sounding happy, and Sans wasn't about to squash that down with his own dislike of being awake this early. "You an Meese been cookn up a storm, eh?" he said to it as the monster stoppe din front of them, He didn't nod, considering the burden on his head, but instead offered them some of the fresh pancakes. Sans took three, since he wasn't too hungry, and the Gyftrot said he'd be doing rounds like this every meal they could manage it. Seemed the mouse monster had decided that, until someone else cam eot claim the hohtel, she was going ot start seeing to it being run. They didn't take payments, but donations of food or gold were always welcome. Sans noticed that the deer-like monster had a collection tin around his neck, and tossed in a few pieces before they headed off. "Looks like yeh were right," he said as they came out into the 'morning light', seeing more monsters than the other day. As if everyone were taking their time to slowly re-emerge from the safety of homes and hideaways.

A brow lifted at the sight of the food-bearing deer monster, finding himself wondering if one of those even existed in his timeline as he grabbed a handful of pancakes himself, feeling like he was starving after last night. "Thanks, bud. Keep up the good work. Underground could use way more o' your kind." He gave him a grin and a few gold pieces to his tin before following behind his lover, happily chewing away at his breakfast as he enjoyed the sights of the area coming to life. "Yeah. Give it time and this'll be a whole new place." He licked the last bit of pancake from his fingertips while looking lost in thought, his steps slowing down a bit as he turned his attention to Sans. "Y'know... maybe we could find some way to help get the Underground on the fast track to healing. I mean... if your MTT's gone there's not gonna be a lot in the way of distraction. Maybe... I dunno... we could talk to Alphys about a new project or somethin' once we get this thing with my neck taken care of." His body flinched an almost unnoticeable amount when he felt the sharp pain shoot through him, as if Boss himself were protesting the notion of being thrown away for good. _It's just a magical reaction... he's fuckin dead. Gone. He doesn't get to have a fucking opinion anymore._ He reached up and scratched idly at the pain in his neck before letting his hand drop to take his boyfriend's once again.

Trying to imagine who could even begin to replace Mettaton to the monsters, Sans came up woefully short, but then again, he'd not even known about his lizard friend's project until after his debut. It had taken him a bit to get the idea that Mettaton was a ghost monster, but it seemed no one else had put that together. Likely because there were about as many ghosts as there were skeletons, and not everyone seemed to know that they worked to inhabit item-bodies until they were, for all intents and purposes, corporeal. It had been a visit to the dump, and incidentally running into Mads, that had made it click for him. It was getting Red taking his hand again to shake him out of contemplation, and when he did, he looked over at his boyfriend with a shrug. "We can see wat she might think'a it. Once she's done wit you, she'll need somethin else ta focus on," he said, giving the hand in his a squeeze before starting to rub his thumb against the rough bone. Sans almost stopped up when he noticed a blue rabbit he recognized, having seen him selling icecream when he'd be hawking hotdogs, but he disappeared almost as soon as he's spotted him, so it was just a hitch in his stride before they were making their way closer to the labs. When they got to the door, it opened for them. There was a positively _tiny_ cat monster just inside, her spotted coat pink over grey, and she hurried up to them, telling that she was helping Alphys, to follow her. Her voice changed when she was guiding them along, cutting past other monsters and making their trek through the other monsters working take almost no time at all. Well, it wasn't entirely nessecary, since the halls weren't that busy, but she seemed to enjoy it. They reached a closed room, and she seemed to pounce up at the number pad, clinging to the box and punching her whole paw on the buttons seven times before the door gave a click and opened up.

Red nodded along in the conversation until they mad eit to the lab, his face lighting up at how much busier it seemed and the sight of the tiny cat monster... well, nothing in his entire life had ever quite made his eyes light up and sparkle like the sight of her did. There was an odd squeal in the back of his throat as he held himself back from making some incredibly embarassing noises that was bound to make everyone in the vicinity (except maybe his boyfriend) highly uncomfortable. _Hnnnnn, holy SHIT how can anything be that **cute**! I just wanna pick her up and snuggle her and pet her and-_  
_'Good lord, Sans. Were you always this disgusting?'_  
_Wha-...SHUT THE FUCK UP, BOSS! Yer dead! You don't get to call me names anymore!_  
_'Nyeh. As if being dead can stop me from telling you just how incredibly embarrassing you are as a brother, nevermind a... companion.'_  
_Com-... fuckin'.... Gaaah! SHUTTHEFUCKUP!!!!_  
His grip on Sans' hand tightened as he suddenly looked incredibly dark and frustrated with his inner argument that was making him feel more and more like he was losing his grip on reality. Boss was _dead_. He was just hearing voices! Well, one in particular. One that was incredibly fucking annoying and-  
_'You didn't find it so annoying when I was telling you to-'_  
_NO! FUCK YOU! STOP!!!_

"Red?" Sans asked as he felt that hand tighten up on his own, the feline not noticing that they'd paused just inside the doorway, still making a beeline for where Alphys was buried in paperwork and machine parts. He turned to stand in front of the larger skeleton, looking up at the angry face. "Red, baby what's wrong?" he said, other hand drawing up to the side of his cheek, fingers lightly touching at the scarred bone, "...Red. Hey, buddy, We're here, Al's jus round the corner. Ya with me baby?"

The hand at his face pulled him from his thoughts and made his whole body jerk a bit when he realized Sans was standing right in front of him. His expression went from startled to one of gentle affection as he turned his head to kiss his lover's palm. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just... gettin' stuck in my own head, is all." He slipped his arm around his boyfriend's shoulders and started walking once again. "Just ready to get this shit over with, I guess. Tired of feelin' like... I dunno... Like my brother's comin' between us, even from the fuckin' grave. It's... it's exhaustin' on so many levels." With a sigh, he shifted his head over onto his lover's shoulder, letting it rest a moment before he leaned up to plant a kiss on his cheek just before they made themselves known to Alphys. "'Eeeey. Whassup, Doc?"

Getting his boyfirend back from his head, Sans gave a soft smile, glad to have been of help, and leaned into that larger frame for just a moment after he draped his arm over him. The kiss had a light laugh in his throat, which continued as Red greeted the liazard monster.  
"O-oh Sans! Red! You are here on time!" she yelped, a few papers scattering and some solid-looking chunk of metal rolling away from the edge of the desk, "I actually didn't think you'd be here until lunch!"  
"Al. Ya said after breakfast, an ya sounded like ya meant it. Hey, have you even slept?" he asked, quirking a brow as he noticed the slightly dark circles under her eyes, but she nodded.  
"Y-yeah, I did, Sans. Promise," she added as she pushed a box aside and gathered up a clipboard with several papers on it, "Castle did you do the warm up tests on the machines like I asked?" Alphys directed at the little cat, who huffed and groaned.  
"Yes, D.r Alphys, twice. It ran within paramaters the entire time," she picked a nail file out of the mess and started to do her claws, "it takes only four m inutes to reach full capacity. The power runs smooth and it shuts down in seventeen seconds. All the cords are double wired and the sensors have the highest rating available. All the fuses have been replaced after each test, and there is a full stock of unused replacements within reach of the panel. Anything else?"  
"Did you actually have a subject hooked up on either of the tests?" she asked, flipping through her clipboard again. Castle seemed to be even more annoyed by the question, groaning out an impassioned _yes Dr. Alphys_. With all of that out of the way, she looked up at the two skeletons with a light flush. "W-well, I-I'll need to have Red set up with a medical gown, I'll get th-the equipment into place a-and we can get the check done b-b-efore we try anything further. I'll ch-check your sealant as well..." She was waddling off towards yet another room, and once inside, they'd see what amounted to three video screens, an organized chaos of colored wires, three thick, shiny black cables with almost comically small clamps on either end, and several mismatched boxes attached to the single keyboard.

Red couldn't help but groan at the idea of wearing one of those weird ass gowns, but he didn't complain. Instead, he just hunted one down before moving towards the room to peek in and check out the equipment.  
_Well, it doesn't look too terrifyin'..._  
_'Neither did you, but monsters still knew better than to mess with you.'_  
_...Fuck off... This is nerve-wrackin' enough without you invadin' every thought._  
_'Well, I figure if these are my last moments to fill your head, I might as well give you something to think about.'_  
With a deeper groan, he clenched his sockets shut tightly and rubbed at the crack on his skull before turning to find somewhere to change. He threw his coat off to the side, followed by the rest of his clothing before he pulled on the gown, feeling exposed in the most ridiculous way. With an annoyed grumble, he turned to grab his shorts, though he stopped as the sight of a bit of red cloth peeking from his coat caught his eye. After pulling his shorts back on, he pulled the tattered scarf from his coat pocket and idly fingered the material, his mind a mess of thoughts as images invaded his mind instead of that voice. Images of protecting that feisty little skele who barely came up to his ribs. Of teaching him how to protect himself. The times where they protected each other. The time they found a place to finally call home. The times where he watched his brother grown from a small baby bones to the tall, proud, monster that everyone feared. Everyone but Sans, for a time. His sockets widened as the material grew darker in different spots and it took him a moment to realize he was crying. "...fuckin'...dammit..." His voice was barely a whisper as he brought the scarf up to wipe his sockets dry, his entire body trembling as he gripped it tighter in an attempt to keep from falling apart. It was like he could feel him there. Not the savage monster his brother had become but Papyrus. His Papyrus. A heavy sadness filled his soul that felt like more than just his own and he let the scarf flutter to the floor with the rest of his clothes, turning to walk away from it while working his grin back onto his face before anyone could see. He moved back to the room with Alphys in it and leaned against the doorway to watch her for a second. "Hey, Doc. Where ya want me?"

She didn't even look back, busy with having he claws type in commands. "On the table, I left a pillow and sheet so you wouldn't feel too uncomfortable. I'm n-not sure how long it'll take, if I can extract the metal, th-then I'll need to clean and seal all of the wounds if I can..." Alphys continued on like this, more into the realm of variables and possibilities she'd been considering as to what would happen if they -couldn't- just be removed. Sans was looking at him from where he'd gotten to perch himself on a chair to the oppostie side of the table. He seemed as nervous as Red was, an almost exact smile on his own face as the one on his lover's. A rictus grin that wasn't really happy, just there. He was fidgeting with his own fingers and wrists, the rest of him still, and he looked like he was thinking too much about what all could happen. The bad things that could happen. Things inside his head that had giggled out beside a bloody knife. He didn't say anything, feeling like he was being inunduated with too many emotions to really feel any of them, or to sort them out. He just... went quiet and thoughtful. "Red?" the lizard monster said, looking up this time, "I'll get the clamps on, like Castle said, it takes a few minutes to warm up, so we might as well get everythign set up now." She seemed less nervous when she was actually -doing- something of use, rather than just considering it. Like she was out of place when she was left to her own devices.

He gave a nod and moved towards the table as she'd directed... only to notice that look on Sans' face that had his own grin soften down to a more comforting smile. He walked over and took Sans' hands in his own, giving them a light squeeze before he leaned down to press a kiss to his brow, one of his hands lifting his chin until their eyes met. "Hey, I'm gonna be fine, alright? I mean.. fuck, if I can survive one basically _exploding_ out of me, I'm sure having the other removed by a professional is gonna be a piece of cake. How about ya think o' somethin' fun to do once we get outta here, alright?" His grin became far more genuine as he shot his lover a wink and let his hands drop before he turned to get on the table like Alphys had asked, trying his best to not let his nerves show. It felt like he was taking ages to get comfortable, but eventually he laid his head back on the pillow and let his sockets flutter closed as he tried to relax... tried to think of all the positives. It'd all be over soon. Soon. He'd finally be free.  
_'....Freedom never suited you...'_

"Yeah," he said, looking up into those crimson eyes, is own smile a little less forced when he saw that more comforting one on the other's face, "yer right, Red. Just... lotsa bullshit up in here," he gave a chuckle as he knocked on his own skull, giving a nonchalant shrug. "Y'know. Usual." As Red got on the table, he felt his smile go a little more stoic and forced, but he kept repeating what all they'd do. _We'll get our own place. We won't be held back. We'll have a clean slate. A new life. Together._ He kept this up as best he could, watching as Alphys took those little clamps and attached them to the edges of the metal. The cords each went to a seperate box, merging the data into a final one to avoid an over-flow like last time. It was just them and her, no one else in the large, sterile room. She'd set out the tools for the work of extraction, if what she'd figured from the previous test was any indicator. The machine whirrled to life, two screens flickering as they waited on information, while the third ran through program coding and began to get everything up to speed. The first real whir of things kicking on had little red and white sparks flicker on the clamps on his neck, but everything held up. Alphys clicked and tapped away, occasionally glancing over to make sure things were stable, then returning to her screens. She muttered to herself, changed a few things, and let it work. A printout was already starting on the other end, but it was only for if things went south, like last time. Alphys tapped a key four times, then flicked a switch before she moved away from the screen.  
"Everything looks like what I thought... I'm going to need to give you magic suppressants to even attempt the extraction, and it might be better to just put you under for the whole thing... unless you want to be awake for it?" she asked, suddenly sounding very unsure of herself. Her hands were starting to clasp and knead against one another before she cleared her throat to look back up at the data. "The spikes feed off your own magic to create a power cycle that keeps their residual purpose intact. E-even with the one blowing out, the others just kept going. They're weaker, b-but it still needs to be cut off before I can safely remove any of them..." Alphys stopped this time, taking in Sans' expression, fiddling nervously with her claws. "I-I'd need an assistant to keep your magic stable, anestatized or awake... a-and it coldn't be you, Sans... your magic's too similar. It would counteract the suppressants."  
"Well, it can't be you, you need your own focus ta actually do the operation," Sans said flatly, even though he knew she knew that already. It meant having someone else privy to this entire complicated mess. And he didn't know who the hell to trust with it.  
"Y-yeah, I... I m-may already ha-... have someone in mind," she said, her tone soft and meek. Sans quirked a brow, and she covered her face in her hands. "R-Reaperbird kn-knows how to... t-to maintain magic levels... b-better than most o-other m-monsters..."

The longer he stayed on the table with the other two talking over the process, the more he could feel his nerves getting to him and the thought of being put under completely.... His hands were damn near ready to rip the dress as he fidgeted with it under the blanket, already feeling beads of sweat beginning to form on his skull. "I-I think, um... Somethin' for the pain, but.... I don't think I wanna be out completely."  
_It'd feel way too much like dying...._  
_'Gee, wouldn't that just feel terrible.'_  
_Shut the fuck up. At least you only had to die once._  
_'....Fair enough.'_  
He took a deep breath and let it out slow as he felt himself calming back down, his arms slowly sliding off to his sides while he turned his attention back to Alphys. "Alright. I think I'm ready whenever you are, Doc."

"O-okay," Alphys said, since he didn't seem to be against the idea of the Amalgamate being there, and she looked at Sans, who shrugged. He wasn't the one being operated on, and Red had clearly said what he wanted, hadn't turned down the idea of having the strange melded monster as his stabilizer. The lizard fiddled with her claws a moment, before she checke dover the machine again. Everything was running the same, no notible changes in the levels, anything that surged didn't go past five clicks before resuming normal pace. "I-I'll go get them... i-it might take a bit to explain, b-but... they... they're the most stable. Of all of them," she seemed ot want to be more reassuring than anything, that Reaperbird wasn't going to go berserk or drop everything in the middle of the surgery. She left in a hurry, and while she was out, the little feline came in with an assortment of vials, as well as an IV drip with pale orange magic in it. Sans cocked his head at it, giving Castle a curious look, and she seemed to know exactly what he was asking.

"We don't have any red magic IV's, so orange is the next best for him. Once he's got the pain and suppressors," she indicated the vials she'd brougth with her, as well as the tubing for actually applying the main drip, "in, it won't matter too much if it's the exact magic type. He'll feel a bit worse for the wear after, but it'll just make for a longer recovery, at worst."  
"Ya sure?"  
"Oh for fu- _yes_. We've used purple on blue and orange on yellow, it's got red magic applications to it, it's just not pure. Now calm down and let Dr. Alphys do what she thinks will work. STARS, you people worry more than my grandmother," Castle groaned out as she headed back for the door, and he thought he could hear her mutter something about needing a smoke before it snapped shut. He gave a short, huffing chuckle, before he looked up and was greeted by a single dark eye, the pale feathers along the lanky body doing little to make Reaperbird look less... awkward. It's head tipped to one side, then the other, then looked down at where Alphys was handing it a small tray. It held the item and seemed to contemplate it, Alphys, the tray again, the two skeletons, the tray, and then just Red.  
"Bemagicwillfullyresponsible?" it said, sounding like two or three voices trying to speak at once. Alphys nodded, and it seemed to be satisfied with that before carrying the tray over to the same side as Sans. "Adjustwithouteverything," it said to him, and for a moment, he wasn't sure what they meant, but then it was like the wordsa adjusted and clicked in his head. They were asking him to move a little. He shifted his chair to the end of the table, looking up, and they gave a little, kind-of nod, tipping thier head several times one way before focusing on Red. "Stuffmagicrisealive?" it asked, indicating the tray. It was empty, which Sans hadn't noticed until it had lowered it, as if asking Red to place something on it. Alphys was setting up the IV bag, a finger-sized needle to one end, and she looked over at Reaperbird, then at Red.  
"They... um... s-since you don't have a full body, technically..."  
"Risestuffmagic," the bird tried again, as if unsure if they asked properly, still offering the tray. Alphys coughed into her ungloved hand.  
"They mean your soul, s-so we can attach the IV and let the medication start taking effect."

Once Castle had left the room, Red turned to Sans with those bright, glittering eyes and a far more beaming smile than he'd had the entire time. "Dude. Sans. Can we take that one home and keep her?" He gave the best pleading look he could before disolving into a fit of snickering laughter that had him feeling far more relaxed and by the time Alphys reappeared with her assistant, he felt completely at ease. If anything, the sight of the odd monster seemed to relax him even more and he shot a warm smile up at it. "'Sup, Arby. Lookin' good." He remembered the strange monsters his Alphys had kept in her basement and by comparison this Reaper Bird was downright adorable. It wasn't until they were holding a tray out to him and Alphys was telling him exactly what they were asking for that he started to look a little less comfortable... Showing his soul to Sans was the first time he'd ever felt comfortable enough to bring it out and that was a sign of completely trust that he had for his lover... Did he really trust Alphys this much? Reaper Bird? With a trembling sigh, he untied the dress behind his neck and dragged it down until his ribs were bared, his hands moving to the front of his sternum to slowly remove the bit of magic that was his entire being to set it on the tray, the feel of the cool metal sending a shiver up his spine. '....You never even trusted me this much...' Yeah, well... I had good reason, didn't I? Feeling much more resolute, he let himself relax back against the bed, adjusting the dress to cover himself once more before his gaze went to Sans, giving him a soft smile and a wink before he let his sockets fall shut so he could steel his nerves once more.

Sans' gaze hovered on that bit of crimson magic, the unverted heart shape that was the culmination of the other skeleton's existance. Monsters were made of magic, their souls were the powering force behind it. The physical form only lasted so long as that shimmering mass of magic did. Destory it, and they were gone for good. Nothing would return them naturally. Seeing it there, settle don a cold metal tray in the hands - wings? - of a monster made of the bodies of fused monsters that had fallen down and been regenerated with DT... it was so absurd, he didn't even really think too much about it.  
_Just another monster, helping with a medical procedure..._  
One that was outlandish enough that Alphys had to practically invent a new machine just to get a reading on the damn metal embedded in his neck. Sans shook his head, going over the plans they had, once this whole thing was over.  
Once the soul was safely on the tray, Reaperbird held it out to Alphys, who gently inserted the needle into the center, angled up to where it ran along the midline of the heart shape, then carefully taped it in place. When it was settled and the Amalgamate had the tray in place, just where their chest would be, they stared unblinking at it, watchihng as tendrils of white, wavy magic went from their own hand-wing-things and began to loop around the soul. Only the very tips actually touched, and that was after it had begun to go flush with a golden overcast from the IV bag, the medicines beginning to overtake his magic and suppress it, while numbing him from the very inside outward. Alphys gave it five minutes, letting Reaperbird get used to the baseline of Red's weakened magic, before she removed the first clamp from one of the spikes.  
Her scalpel cut into the charred bone around the metal, hoping all three were the same size and angles. If they were, each successive one would come out easier than the once before, because she'd know where and how to slice into the damaged bone to work them free. She had three scalpels, one for each spike, so that she wouldn't have to worry about the blade being dull when she was trying to work. Reaperbird made a soft trilling noise, blinking just once, but then resumed their vigil while the lizard monster was dabbing at the scant flow of marrow escaping past the incisions. There was very little, meaning she'd only nicked the healthy surface, ir it was stray sections somehow surviving inside the charred areas. It didn't matter, it would be cleaned and sealed when she had the metal free.  


As the medication worked its way through his soul it was like his entire body began to drift into a state of relaxation. Why had he even been worried in the first place? Soon it would all be over...  
_'....Is this... what you really want, Sans?'_  
_...Wh-what?_ His sockets cracked open and he peered around... that voice was getting even clearer now that it felt like his head was swimming pleasantly.  
_'When she removes those spikes... that's it. Every bit of me is gone from your life... Is that what you want... really?'_  
Even with it being on the tray in the strange bird monster's grasp, he could feel his soul tighten at the thought. Is... is that what he wanted?  
_...you're... you're dead, Boss. this is... just me talkin' to a voice inside my head._  
_'Really, Sans. You were always far more intelligent than this. Do you really think I'm a figment of your imagination? Even when your... when he can hear me?'_  
Suddenly, he felt so much more empty as the metal came out rather smoothly, giving Alphys a neat surface to patch up before moving on to the next.  
_Boss...I.... I gotta fuckin' move on. You're gone... I mean... I... I never wanted you to be gone in the first place, I just.... I didn't wanna die..._  
_'.....I know, Sans. I'm... I'm sorry for what I became in the end. I... should have listened to you back then... but I need you to listen to me now... If you want me gone... I'll go. If not...'_  
He felt his breathing get heavier, his vision blurry when he opened his sockets and he realized he was crying and there wa snothign he could do about it but let the tears fall...  
_Boss, I... n-no, I... I don't want you gone, but... I don't want ya gettin' in the way of me and Sans, either... I just... fuck.... I just wanna be happy, Boss..._  
_'...I can.... I can do that... if you can give me another chance....'_  
_...I... B-Boss?_  
_'....Do you want me back, Sans?'_  
_...I....y-...yeah..._  
_'......Do you trust me, Sans?'_  
_.....yeah, Boss...._  
It felt like his entire body was engulfed in flame and his mouth opened to scream, though no sound came out. A magic that easily overwhelmed the effects of the suppresion surged through him, burning at the holes the spikes had left in his neck until they had actually caught fire. The readings on the machine spiked out of control before fuses were blown left and right, the smell of smoke and burning bone filling the air as Red finally found his voice, screaming into what felt like the Void as he gripped into the bed beneath him, tearing into the cushioning as he tried to keep himself on the table. A murderous intent filled his skull as thick, dark red magic began to pour from those burning wounds, his mouth, his sockets like coagulating ink that puddled on the table beneath him as he gave into the pain. Everything felt so hot. So heavy. Like he was being covered in molten metal, before his body seemed the pass the threshold of pain and pass into a once again relaxed state. He felt so... light... Like one of those piles of snow he'd see back at home, the wind rolling over it and making the soft powder float through the air... His skull turned, his flickering lights looking to his hand as he lifted it... Heh... just like snow... His head turned again, this time to look at the tray holding his soul... and just before his lights gave out he watched the thick, inky magic make its way up to his soul, enveloping it before everything went black... But even in the darkness he saw a familiar shape... the familiar, bloor red eyes he hadn't seen in years.

"Heya, Boss."


	18. Descisions

_T"HUNK!  
_ Ah! Fuckin' hell!!!" He sat up from having his head crack down against the marble floor of the Judgement Hall, those bright eyes catching a glimpse of a bright yellow flicker in the corner of his sockets, but it was gone before he could turn to look at it. He looked around with a sense of panic before his eyes landed on the familiar figure in the middle of the hall. _Sansy..._ Slowly, he lifted to his feet, careful not to move too fast in case his head hit harder than he'd thought... but he had to know. He had to go to him. _Please... pleasepleaseplease..._ He stopped just behind the skeleton in the blue coat, his soul pounding in his chest. "Heh... H-hey there, handsome.... Come here often?"

"Hey Red," his quiet voice rasped, not moving from the spot. He looked up, taking far too long to make any move, eyelights flickering between pale blue and ashen grey. He seemed to want to ask more, his mouth open, as if to speak, but nothing came out. Sans didn't move, hand clutched to the dagger still buried in his ribcage, slowly cutting away at his meager point of HP, tips of his fingers and edges of bones already turning light and powdery. Starting to trickle off in bits and pieces. His breath hitched, the blade shifting against his ribs and sturnum where it had been seated before the last Reset, and he felt himself falling apart again. Tiny pieces, like snow, drifting away from him. "I dunno what's goin on... but... I love you," Sans looked up again before his eyelights threatened to go out. Everything felt loose and ephemeral. He coudl almost tell when his magic was going to give out. Like a thread pulled too tight. "I love you, Red."

The panic faded when he heard Sans say his name, his whole body slumping to the floor as he smiled and moved to wrap his arms around him, but... before he'd even touched him, he noticed the dagger. His sockets shot wide at the sight. "No. Nononononono. Sansy!" Tears streamed down his face as he shifted in front of him, grabbing his shoulders and looking to his face. "Nonono! This wasn't s'posed ta happen! Sansy! Please, don't leave me! I love you, Sansy! Don't leave me! Please!!!" He brought himself closer to rest his brow against the other. "Wh-what the fuck... no... please....I love you... don't..." He felt his soul calling out for his lover's, heavy in his chest, though it felt like that magic was reaching desperately. "C-c'mon buddy... We'll... we'll get ya to Alphys and... sh-she'll patch ya up, right as rain.... a-alright? Just... please... don't go..."

"Heh..." Sans huffed out in a low breath, feeling things getting lighter, the hands grabbing his shoulders sinking in by margins, "guess I'll get ta see Paps." His eyelights guttered out, his voice breathing out another whispered promise of loving him as his body gave out. His soul lingered, hovering there in soft flickers of blue, before slowly being overtaken in pale grey, then white, before it, too, flickered out and faded away, leaving just that pile of dust, a dagger, and the blue coat with a red scarf tucked away in the pocket.

"S-...Sansy...." Tears poured over that manic grin and he felt the shadow of a hand on his own shoulder just as his lover turned to dust before him. He gripped the blue jacket against the floor, letting his tears fall into the dust as both his mind and his sockets went blank. He was gone. He was gone and it was all his fault. If he hadn't been so _fucking selfish_ and just said no. No to Paps. No to turning to dust and coming all the way back here. Why did it have to turn out this way? Why? "Whywhywhy?" He hiccuped as soft white lights wavered into his sockets, catching on the glint of metal on the floor and before he knew what he was doing, he had the knife in his own hand and turned towards his chest, that manic grin growing wilder by the second. "I-It's okay, Sansy... I'll... I'll j-just go back... an-an' maybe... maybe next time'll be different. L-like the first time, y'know? Then...w-we can do it over again. W-we'll find a place. W-we'll start a life together. You an' me. I'm comin' for ya, Sansy... j-just like I promised..." His body tensed as he felt the blade pressing past the already heavily scarred bone of his chest, adding a neat line to match the many others.

Instead of cutting, the line left behind was a scrape of melting plastic, the toy knife falling into a grey and blue puddle on the floor. That ghosting touch to his shoulder was joined by a second, and the sounds in his head, like a microphone pressed up near the speaker, began to fade. As if pulling the two apart until the words were clearer.  
_You never asked the price... if it's too much, there's still time._  
The sound cut again, like a blown speaker. The shadow of touch faded, and the Hall becamse paler. Shadows and light merged until it was a shifted hue that was every color and none of them at once. The ghostly form of Reaperbird came back, bearing an empty tray, offering it to him. "Flowispausedstilltimecomebackstay."

It felt like his world was turning upside down as that voice filled his mind, his hands shaking so hard they looked like a blur to him and he laughed. "Always... gotta fuck shit up, don't I?" His gaze lifted to that ghostly form and it took him a while to translate what it had said... but the moment realization dawned on him, he all but ripped his soul from his chest. The moment he slammed that soul on the tray, he sat up on the operating table, gasping as if taking in every bit of air he didn't even need. "Nonononono!" He looked around the room with a wild look in his eye and started kicking at the table to try and get away from everyone, his hand going to his neck to grip at it before the medication caught back up to him and with his head swimming pleasantly, he felt his whole body lurch off the table just before everything went black.

Alphys yelped, falling back from the stool she'd perched on, the distinct sound of metal clanging to the tile floor, and it was all Sans could do to keep her from having those sharp instruments cutting at -her-. Reaperbird turned its head, looking down at the skeleton slumped on the floor opposite of the table from ths lizard monster engulfed in blue. Sans let her down gently, away from the equipment, just as Reaperbird was taking Red's soul and returning it to his chest.  
"Heartbeatsstay." The tray got placed on the operating table, beside the spike that had been removed, and the lanky monster went over to Alphys, patting her on the head with a feathery 'hand'. "Backstayhello." Then it wandered back to where Sans assumed the route back down would be. He didn't bother to really look, too busy going over to where the otherskeleton lay sprawled in a heap on the floor, shaking him lightly.  
"Red, baby c'mon, wake up. Red, I'm here, I'm here, Red, Red..." he kept repeating that name, leaning in and hugging his skull to his chest, "Red wake up, buddy. I need you..." his breath hitched, caught in his throat, as he slid his hand down and felt his soul tighten, trying its best to reach out to his lover. "Come back to me, Red. I love you, I'm here, I'm here..."

 _'SANS! Get up, you lazy sack of shit! We have work to do!'_  
He groaned and shifted in his lover's grasp, turning until his face was buried in his chest, one hand reaching back blindly until it found the blanket from the operating table and he started jerking it over himself with every intent of going to bed.  
_'SANS!!'_ < br/>  
"Nnnnnn...fuck off, Boss..." He gave a harder jerk, sending the tray flying from the table as he curled up and pulled the blanket over his head.  
_'...Sans, you **fucking** idiot...'_

Sans' head cocked just a smidge as that blanket draped over them, the clatter of the tray not taking his attention away from that bundle of what the fuck. Alphys was shivering in place on the floor, looking over at the two of them nervously for any answers, to which Sans shrugged when he glanced her way. "Hey Red," he murmured, rubbing along the blanketed skull, "y'wanna come out an tell us what's goin on?" His voice was low and almost wheedling, chuckling as he started to tug the fabrics away. "Ya gave Al quite a start, buddy. Kinda, uh... caught me by surprise a bit too."

He snorted at the touching... he wasn't being hit or kicked or dragged out of bed... actually, this didn't feel at all like his bed... With that skull still swaying side to side, he peered up at Sans, squinting for a moment to make out his face. "who.... whoth'fuck'reyou?" His voice was a heavily slurred mumble as he tried to focus on one of the three face in front of him before giving up and slumping against him, his face pressed against the other's sternum. "rrrrrmmmnnnnnwaannnagohome...." He gave a snort and pressed further into Sans, his arms lifting in an attempt to wrap around him, simply out of habit by now and searching out his source of comfort while the rest of the world seemed so disorienting.

That slurred mumble had his sockets go dark, feeling a trickle of tears starting. _Red doesn't know who I am..._ Sans's shoulders stiffened as he was clasped to, the swirl of how goddamn much he loved that monster mixed with all the questions of what the hell was going to happen. What if Red didn't feel the same after this? Sans lowered his brow down against that scarred skull, hugging him in with a light gasp to keep from sobbing. "Hey, buddy. Dontcha know how ta greet a new friend?" he whispered, his voice strained from holding back tears, "name's Sans... Sans the skeleton..."

The scarred skull slowly nodded in acknowledgement of the other's words and since he didn't seem to want to quie tdown so he could sleep, Red began to move carefully, turning onto his side with his wavering eyelights peering up at Sans while his hand slipped behind his skull and pulled him down into a quick kiss devoid of that magical spark he'd grown to love. Within seconds, he felt his strength beginning to leave him, the entire world shifting again until he was a panicked-looking heap on the floor, quickly turning again to hide his face against Sans' chest while a voice whispered in his ear. A hand caressed his skull. "nnnnnph... lemme alone, Boss... jus'....wannasleep... i don'...f-feeeelgood..." HIs hands clutched at Sans for support, trying to make the world stand still again so he could just take a moment to _think_.

Meeting the eyelights, his own returned at the kiss, sliding his arms around the broader shoulders as he complained and cuddled. His breath came in slow, almost painful measures, trying his damndest not to cry. He felt so suddenly lost, and when he looked up, Alphys had dragged a thin mattress over to them. She helped Sans get huddled up to the wall and adjust the dozy skeleton on the bedding, tucking the blanket around him with uncertain, shaking hands.  
"H-he might be reacting t-to the orange IV," she suggested, fiddling her claws, "I-I'll let you rest... i-if you need anything..."  
"Don't worry, Al," Sans said, sounding like he was going to end up dozing off too, though he knew he wouldn't. Not with him feeling like everything had been yanked out from under him. The lizard left after a few minutes of awkward silence, disappearing into the halls to leave them alone for now. Sans' hand kept stroking along that skull, just to keep himself form thinking too much. He focused on looking over Red, seeing where Alphys has sealed up the second spike wound, and added more to the first. The pale white stood out in stark contrast to the greyed bone, and the red ring around the edges. His finger traced along the crack over Red's socket, careful to not press into it, then down to one of the worse scars along his mouth, then the top of that gold tooth. "I love you so much," he murmured, lightly rubbing the back of his knuckles to that cheek, "jus come back to me, baby. That's all I want."

The gentle touches. Oh sweet stars, how he loved those gentle touches. His mouth curled as he felt those smoth fingers trace around it, his whole body moving to get more comfortable against him before he let his sockets slowly pry open. When he lifted his hand it felt like he was pulling it through a vat of tar, his movements incredibly slow, but eventually he found Sans' hand and pulled it further over his fangs so he could nuzzle against them before he gave in to gravity and let his hand fall while still holding onto his lover's. "...mmmmn...so...sorry... didn't... mean for you to.... get hurt..." He turned his head and tried to hide it in the blanket, though it was too far down his shoulders at this point. " I... love ya... Sansy..." A soft white dot peered past his half open socket, staring at the other hand clutche din his own like it were the most fascinating thing in the world and he spent several minutes quietly letting his thumb rub all along the edge as if memorizing every detail before eventually the fatigue took him back into the darkness.

Hearing the other monster's voice, he couldn't help the tears going down past his smile, feeling like the biggest idiot for thinking that the strange flicker of a reset and reload had caused Red to forget. He mentally shuddered, recalling his own actual death this time, not just dying, but after that, it was a blur, until his boyfriend had suddenly been back on the operating table in front of him, screaming and throwing himself away from Alphys' scalpel. Sans couldn't beleive he'd forgotten about him being pumped full of painkiller alongside the suppressants, which would lower any drug tolerences he had even more. But dear fucking stars he'd been terrified, too scared to think straight, let alone remember something like that. His fingers squeezed at the hand in his, watching that thumb shift softly against his until Red dozed back off. He readjusted just a bit, getting Red's skull cradled on one folded leg while the other stretched out alongside him. "It'll be alright, baby," he said in a quiet voice, resuming his caresses along those bones, tugging the blanknet up to keep them both warm, "I'm here."

Sans couldn't sleep, even if he wanted to. Just like before, he kept a quiet watch over his lover, stroking at his scars and holding his hand while he rested. Castle, perhaps of her own violition or even Alphys' suggestion or orders, had brought the skeleton a folding table with some food and a drink, and hurried back off. He noticed she'd also left a folded napkin, with a note scrawled on it. _Make sure he eats._ Sans hoped Red would even feel like eating once he came to... and wondered if he'd be up for trying to talk. He was already missing his voice, and the seclusion of their room. But he could wait, Sans was nothing if not patient.

For hours the thick-boned skeleton lay sleeping, shifting every now and then to get more comfortable until he was halfway stretched across Sans' lap. His dreams would have been considered nightmares by the standards of any monster in this universe, but for him they were simply memories. Memories of his own past and, oddly, memories that seemed to be flowing from the mind of his brother as well. It felt like it had been ages since he'd heard him speak last and before long, he found himself missing that pain in the ass voice. _Shit... Maybe... maybe I was too rash getting rid of those spikes...._ In his dreams, he suddenly found himself in a vast feild of blackness and he turned every which way, calling out for his brother, but finding nothing. Hearing even less. "...boss..." His hand squeezed at Sans' before he cracked his sockets open and let go, red slits of light peering around blearily before he tried to sit up with a groan. "What... what is... wrong... with.... me?" His arms wobbled and he flopped back down into Sans' lap with a defeated sigh before he slipped into unconsciousness once again.

Catching him mid-fall, Sans did the best he could to keep him from just crashing back down against his knee, though it did have a moment of aching from the impact, it really wasn't important. Gazing back down at Red, he shifted his attention from that face, and nudged the blanket and crappy medical gown away from his upper ribs. Pausing a moment, he slid his fingers along the cracked sternum, and shifted his hand until he was slipping it through a gap in his ribs, carefully extracting that soul. It still flickered with traces of orange, but otherwise he felt what the other felt. Even unconscious, Red's emotions were strong, and he brought that soul up close to his mouth to give a light kiss. "It'll be okay, Red," he whispered against it, fingers sliding in feather-light caresses on the slick red surface, "you'll be okay..." His own soul reached for its companion, to embrace and comfort, and he took the cyan heart form his chest to carefully tilt the two together. _Maybe he can recover faster with some of my magic to help..._ Sans hooded his sockets shut, barely needing to even think about it before his soul was clutching to Red's, as if embracing, and he shivered as he tried to convey to his lover just how much he was there for him. No matter what he needed from him.

There was a soft whimper from the slumping body as their magic tingled and pressed together, the sensation spreading through his body warm and relaxing and... His sockets shot open, those bright red slits of light blazing as he sat up and turned to look at the other skeleton handling their souls so intimately. "What..." His voice came in a deep, menacing growl as those sockets narrowed in a glare. "...do you _think_ you are _doing_?" He all but snarled as he reached out to trap his soul between his hands, his fingers creating bars like a cage before he pulled it back to settle it in his chest, his gaze following it with a tender look before he shot another glare at Sans and moved to stand. He wobbled, but onyl took a second to steady himself, looking down at himself and scrunching his face in disgust at the gown before simply ripping it off of his body and turning to walk away. His legs felt strange beneath him and before he knew it, the world was turning upside down as gravity and the remaining drugs overtook him, sending him to his hands and knees with a surprised gasp. His breath was heavy as he stayed right where he was, his entire body trembling as he tried to regain his composure, shaking even harder as he started trying to stand once again, filled with determination.

His eyelights srunk down to pinpricks at that voice, looking up at those slitted eyes as the other skeleton took his soul back, his own shivering in his grip before pushing it back to his own ribcage. He felt that second glare like a physical blow, flinching back was he watched the other monster. Sans' mouth worked wordlessly as he got up, as he turned away, and he didn't know what the hell he was doing, just sitting there watching as the other skeleton struggled to keep upright. "Red!" he yelped, getting over to him as he fell to all fours, hand gripping at one of those shoulders, "Red, y'shouldn't be up yet, buddy," he said, his voice shaking. Something was so very wrong, but he didn't... he didn't know what. His own exhaustion was catching up with him, but he fought past it to try to urge that bulky doppelganger of his back to the bedding, even as he tried to stand. "C'mon, we can stay here long as we need..." he added, eyelights flicking over to the two doorways. No one had come in, not since Castle had brought them that food earlier. He'd had some, just for something else to do, but most of it was untouched.

The hands at his shoulders had him tensing up and he turned a bit as if to knock the hands away, but as soon as he moved, he felt the world spinning again. "Fuck..." He grumbled to himself and let his body be moved back to the mattress, his face scrunching with disgust once again. "Do we _have_ to stay here? Laying on the floor like this is... humiliating." Though instead of laying down, he was curling his legs in front of him and grabbing onto his own ankles, his whole body swaying with exhaustion and the weight of medication. "I'd rather go..." _Home_. But where even was home at this point? That overly extravagant excuse for a hotel room? Snowdin? "...somewhere else." He looked off to the side and noticed the food, feeling his soul pang with hunger... but he didn't immediately grab anything. His sharp gaze shifted up to Sans, then he slowly leaned over to grab whatever was closest and ate it almost delicately, ignoring his body as it begged him to just shove everything into his gullet so he could feel full and recover faster.

Sans was confused at this point. Downright stumped. _Must be the drugs... jus try'n to recover an all._ That's what he told himself, but in his gut, the one he didnt' really have except for when it was created by his magic, he felt like so much was two clicks shy of bullseye. Like everything had been tilted and fitted together with tape and rubber bands. "Red, uh... well, if ya can't walkyet, we jus gotta wait, babe. Ya sure ya don't want anythin else ta eat? Maybe have Al come back ta check on ya?" He settled down next to him, offering his own side for Red to support himself on, instead of having to try to constantly waste energy attempting to keep his balance.

He quietly grumbled to himself and grabbed more food, still eating at his more delicate pace, but at least his body was beginning to protest less and less until he was finally sated and let out a slow sigh. With the other skeleton sitting so near, he felt himself growing uncomfortable and... agitated... his whole body leaning slightly away from him until he felt gravity trying to pull him too far over, so he ended up overcorrecting and leaning against Sans anyways. He stared at the mattress beneath them, his skull burning a deep red in humiliation as he accepted his fate. "Perhaps... I _should_ sleep a bit more... then maybe we can have the Doctor look me over again to make sure I can travel..." He turne dhis skull to let his gaze flicker up to the other's for only a moment before he shifted away and moved further down the mattress to grab the blanket, dragging it over his body before he dropped down with a _thump!_ as far from Sans as he could get before slowly letting himself drift off again.

He had no idea how long he sat there, staring out of the corner of his socket at the lump of dozing monster. He was acting so _off_ from what Sans had been used to the last few days. Then again, he was half-drugged up and exhausted... maybe it was his way of dealing with it. Still, he glanced over at just how far away he was, not just physcially but... emotionally too. He was distant and aloof, and it made his soul ache. But maybe it was just how he was handling the prediciment he was still tangled up in. Sighing to himself, he pulled his knees up to rest his chin on them, hugging around his legs. Sans hoped he'd feel more himself after another nap. When he looked over again, one of those hands had strayed past the blanket, and his fingers itched to curl around and give soft touches again. He wanted so much to be soothing and trying to do more than sit there like a useless lump beside him. Shifting over, he ran a hand along the curve of the blanket where his back was, figuring he wouldn't distrub his sleep like that.

Stars, how he loved those gentle touches. It felt like he'd been out for days, but since he was still on the mattress and curled under the blanket, he figure dit must have simply been hours. With a deep groan, he rolled over, one of those bright red lights peering up at his lover while a grin curled on his face, one of those heavy hands reaching out to take Sans' and pull it to his mouth where a small spark of electricity let ihm know he was doing a bit better. "Mmmm, hey there, gorgeous... Ya look how I feel." He twisted his hand until their fingers were laced together, his free hand rubbing at his sore sockets before flopping onto the mattress beside him. "Fuck... what time is it?" He grunted as he started sitting up, still feeling heavier than usual, but far less dizzy and disoriented as he'd been before. When his gaze settled on Sans' face, he felt his soul flutter for a moment before he reached over with his free hand and slipped it behind his neck, slowly pulling the other in so he could steal a kiss. "Heh... I, uh... I think the whole extraction thing is workin'. I feel like... I haven't heard that voice since..." He brought his hand over to his own neck, feeling the new area that was sealed up and... he couldn't help but feel a little sad at how quiet the world seemed to become... but then he looked at Sans and knew he'd made the right choice. His arm slipped around his lover's shoulders, pulling him down as he fell back onto the mattress, pressing one little kiss after another to his mouth. "Hmmm... think they have any security cameras in here?" He looked up at that smooth-faced skele with a look that was asking a whoooole lot more than that. "I mean.. I'm sure we can come up with our own test to see how good it worked."

Sans was downright stumped. He stared at Red like he'd paid admission to the fair and ended up in the dark tent of a freak show, his jaw gaping slightly before he was pulling into that kiss. He shivered, his breath stolen in that moent as he felt right again, his eyelights going into small hearts when Red pulled him back down, feeling a soft flush of blue along his cheekbones at the question. "Prolly not fer this room... since it's code access fer her... but uh... ya sure ya feel alright baby? You uh... you were act'n a bit off earlier," he said, though he was so very glad to be able to feel those scarred bones along his hands again. Even if Red was bare-boned under the blanket, he did still have his clothing, and the fabric was loosely draped around the both of them. Then he blinked. "Red, we only got one of em out, y'know. It's like ya got kicked and... an ya threw yerself off the table. Al didn't wanna push it, so we been rest'n the last few hours. Think it's get'n near dinnertime."

"Was I?" His confusion was almost palpable as he blinked up at his lover, but he shook his head and rubbed at it with one of his hands as he sighed. "These fuckin' meds man... Kickin' my ass hard. Gave me some weird ass dreams and... fuck, I feel like I can barely move even now..." His hand moved away form his face and over to Sans', his thumb storking lightly against his cheek as he smiled and leane dinto another kiss, whispering gently against his mouth. "But I'm alright. Had a bit of a freak out, but it's... it's alright now. I feel like I can think _clearly_ for the first time in a long time. And it's nice... not havin' that fuckin' voice or just the fuckin' intent hangin' over me every time I just wanna touch ya." He pressed into his boyfriend once again, letting that kiss deepen quickly, his orange-tinted tongue eager to taste the other's once again. "Or kiss ya." He licked at those smooth teeth before turning to look at the door, listening intently for a moment before his hands slid up beneath Sans' shirt, finding those smooth ribs and growling as he began stroking along them, squeezing in those spots he knew the other liked. "Mmmm, or get you riled up and beggin' for me." His bright eyes had a hungry little gleam in them as he felt his entire body tingling with heat, but nothing even remotely similar to that painful throbbing he'd gotten from the spikes. The remaining metal in his neck seemed to sit comfortably warm in his bones and as far as he could tell... there was nothing to worry about.

 _Just the meds, like ya thought. Nothin' ta worry yer stupid head over._  
Sans gave that fangy mouth a kiss, leaning into the way Red pressed against him, gasping as his hands worked into his ribs. He made a small noise in the back of his throat, looking up at those crimson orbs with all the intent of loving on him just as much as Red wanted. Giving him anything he desired. "Oh, yer bein such a bad boy, Red... I think I like it, babe," he returned after a bit, hands pulling that larger frame down against him harder as Red's searching touches had hiked his shirt up to let their ribs rub against each other. He leaned to press more kisses along that poorly set collarbone, nibbling before he took a good strong bite at him, chuckles almost sounding like growls before he tipped his head back up to reclaim that other tongue with his own, curling them together with a pleased hum. His breath panted against those sharp teeth, low and pleading. "Fuck, I love you, Red," he murmured, already shivering down to his marrow at the idea of getting to actually spend an intimate moment with his lover _without_ having to worry about those spikes interfering, "what ya wanna do ta me, baby? I wanna hear it, Red... tell me what ya need."

"Ohoho... Ya like a bad boy, huh?" His hips were already shifting up into his partner's, hands slipping up to stroke along his skull as he moved down, that breathing getting hot and heavy until the bite had him choking back a moan that was sure to alert the building of his current state. "Haaaah. _Fuck_ , baby... you know just how I-" His words were cut off as that blue tongue wrapped around the warm muscle of flaming colors in his mouth, working to draw it further in as he pressed up hard against his pelvis with that already prominently hard magic. "Fuck I love you, too, Sansy... I wanna fuck ya 'til _you're_ the one who needs help walkin' outta here." He gave his lover a dirty grin and lured his tongue back out to playfully nibble at it while his hands got back to work touching every inch of that body he could get to and slowly working his shorts off his lower half to let that throbbing red length free. "I fuckin' need _you_ , baby. I'm gonna-" He moved to sit up so he could pull Sans closer, but there was still enough of that medication coursing through him to make the room feel like it was spinning until he shifted back down with a chuckle. "Well, fuck... looks like I'm at yer mercy, baby... please... _don't_ be gentle." A deep growl that had that whole mattress vibrating rumbled in his chest as he slipped a hand against Sans' cheek, leading him into another hungry kiss full of flame and lust.


	19. Homecoming

His head fell back a moment as he touched along him, writhing in small movements tat got Red to linger on the spots that felt the best, until his own ectoform was in place. He ducked his head out of his shirt before tugging his own shorts free, chuckling as Red wobbled, heands helping to steady him before he was making them switch places, rolling over top of him ont he mattress, dragging the blanket along too. "Well, yer still recover'n baby... don't wanna go too hard on ya yet." His hand slid down to pump at the warm red cock, firmly dragging and gripping at it. He moved his mouth down to nibble along his collarbone again, trailing down to hsi sternum and finding his way to that broken rib, curling his tongue around carefully before he worked his way along that body. "I'll be nice today though... ya been through a lot, Red, no need ta drag it out," he said, just before covering that cock withi his mouth, sliding down and bobbing as his hand conitnued to jerk at near the base and up when he'd give it room. He tasted like heat and spice, and Sans shivered before he started working hins tongue along the underside, working to get the head of that cock down his throat.

"Well, aren't you just... hnnnn, the _sweetest_?" His hips rolled up against that warm mouth and he couldn't help but let out a heavy groan at just how good it felt. As much as he loved the pleasure that came from pain, having to focus on nothing but Sans was... wonderful. "Haaaah, f-fuckin' hell, baby... you act like you were starvin' for it." He lifted up just enough to watch his lover work that hard length of red magic and broguht a hand over to stroke against the back of that smooth skull, happily moaning at the feeling of his soul swell with joy as he felt a rush of those loving emotions from his boyfriend. In a sudden movement, however, he threw the blanket over his lover's head and the lower half of his body as he went completely still, listening hard at the hallway as he could have sworn he heard... _something_... He held Sans' head still with his hand without forcing him to stay, but once it felt like enough time had passed without any other noises, he peeked beneath the blanket with an embarassed smile and a blush. "S-sorry... thought I heard somethin'..." His smile curled into a more daring little smirk as he pet along the side of Sans face, those warm lights turning to hearts at the sight of him. "Figured you wouldn't wanna get caught with your mouth full."

He hummed on that magic as Red watched him, but when he suddenly was enveloped by the almost stifling warmth of that blanket, and he was about to lift himself free of it, but with the touch of that hand, he just sort of, stayed put. Looking up curiously at those eyelights as he smirked down at him, then chuckled on his cock before he just plunged all the way down, sucking like his life depended on it, and starting a demanding bobbing, half-choking on occasion, but going for the golden sund of Red's pleasure. The moment he had that, he was going to pull back and get himself a real mouthful, planning on teasing Red a little with it.

The chuckling alone was enough to send a shive rup his spine and those hearts seemed to multiply before settling back down once Sans got back into his groove and had that bulkier skele squirming on the mattress, doing all he could not to start alerting the whole building to how fucking good he felt. "S-stars, baby... fuuuhuck you want it, bad, don'tcha?" His body was burning with lust as he gripped more firmly on that sweet skull and started shifting his hips harder and pressing that dick deeper into his mouth. Every little gag had his body jerk in reaction until he couldn't take it, turning his head to grab the corner of the blanket in his mouth to stifle the noises that were being forced out of him. "Hnnnph... fck, bby. Js' lik dat." His free hand gripped at the mattress beneath him and he felt a burning in his soul that seemed to intensify the heat spreading through his body and that cock felt like it wa sin fire in his lover's mouth. How was he not already fucking cumming?! It felt like he simply _couldn't_... and staying on that edge had him drooling and crying for sweet release and it was creating a pain all its own that he couldn't stand, but was completely in love with at the same time. A high pitched whine filled the air as his cock throbbed, but no magic seemed to want to come out. Instead, the whole world seemed to tip sideways as the medication had another surge through his body and it suddenly felt like gravity was pressing every inch of him back down into the mattress. "Fuh....f-fuckin'....s-stars, baby..." Those bright lights had turned to dizzied swirls and he lay sprawled on the mattress, breathless and... oddly satisfied.

Sans pumped himself along that cock, just waiting for that moment of bliss when his lover would load him up with the taste of his magic... but it seemed like he'd never stop. Figuring he was holding back, the smaller monster covered every bit of him, right down to the hilt, choking in a delightful burn as he swallowed him whole. When He fel tthat throb alongside the whine, he braced himself for the release... only to have Red fall back like he'd spent himself, leaving a very confused, and frankly frustrated, little skele on his dick. His mouth drooled out purplish fluid, but it was more blue than anything, and he licked along his teeth. "Baby, ya hold'n out on me?" he asked with a lighthearted chuckle, trying not to sound offended, "comin' up a bit dry down here." He moved to wipe his mouth on his arm, only to notice the way Red just seemed... lik ehe'd enjoyed the hell out of himself. _What the actual fresh fuck?_ Sans looked down at him, quizzical and almost upset at the whole thing. Was he fuck'n around with his head? "Red?" he asked, sounding even more confused than before, even when he'd been acting weird and distant. Had he done something wrong? As far as Sans could tell, he'd been enjoying the everloving hell outta himself, but there wasn't shit to show for it. Even looking down at his dick, which seemed to be going soft and sated, didn't have any goddamn answers for him. "What the fuck," he muttered to himself, looking around the room. Had he fuck'n lost his marbles?

After a minute of getting his head to clear up, he peered down at what sounded like a rather offended lover and he couldn't help but flush in shame, turning away as his smile began to falter. "N-nah, of course not, baby... I just... fuck... got dizzy as shit. I think... nnn, fuck, I think the meds're just fuckin' with my head." he looked back over with a soft, but uncertain gaze as he reached over and let his hand gently slide up his lover's arm. "I-I'm sorry, baby... I... didn't mean to disappoint ya..." He grabbed at his arm to try and bring him down to the mattress with him, letting the blanket drape over the both of them. "I'll make it up to ya later, I promise. I..." He could feel hot tears pricking at the corners of his sockets before he turned away to wipe them away with the blanket, pulling it up a bit more as he tried to hide his face and muffled his voice in the process. "I-... I love you, baby.... i'm sorry..."

Fuck, that's not what he'd wanted... Sans leaned in and nuzzled his brow to Red's, finding his hand to lace their fingers together as he snuggled up to him. "I'm not mad at ya, baby," he assured, "jus... really damn confused." He reached up to turn his face back his way, wiping the tears off his sockets. "I love you too, don't gotta apologise ta me sweetheart." Sans ran his hands down along Red's cheeks, thumbs brushing his lower jaw. "I am glad that at least ya seemed ta enjoy it, heh... even if the prize didn't quite make an appearance." He tipped a kiss to those angular teeth, taking his time to just love on him a little. By the time he was done, he'd left touches or kisses all over that face, and he was currently nuzzling their brows together. "Think ya might wanna get somethin ta eat an head back, Red? Dont think this'd be too good a place ta crash fer the night."

"W-well... I mean... it felt fuckin' _fantastic_ , baby, like... wow..." He nuzzled back into his face and pressed happily into the kiss, his eyes shifting back to the heart-shapes that felt more natural than anything for him these days. He whined at the slew of kisses that followed, feeling his whole face lighting up in a soft red-orange glow until he was done. "Y-yeah... I mean... I wouldn't mind it too much since you're here, but... yeah. I think it'd be better to sleep in a softer bed. This one reminds me o' home a lil too much." He shifted to start getting up, but the last surge of meds clung to him and had him wobbling and feeling nauseous. "M-mmmight need ya help walkin', though... the fuck did she give me? She could make a fortune sellin' this shit." He wrapped an arm around Sans' shoulder and shut his sockets tight as he started sitting up, feeling a lot less dizzy when he couldn't see what was going on, so he kept them mostly shut as he hunted down his shorts to tug them back on. The last thing they needed was to show their thanks to Alphys by letting her walk in on the two of them dirtying the floor of an otherwise sterile operating room.  
May 24, 2017  
Zeryxis - 05/24/2017  
Following his lover's lead, Sans got his clothes back in place, though with the larger being disoriented enough to need help walking, he knew their trek back to the hotel woudl take quite a bit. And teleporting was probably not the best idea, since Red seemed to be in bad enough shape without risking anything further. Shrugging up under one of those larger arms, he pulled Red in close and wondered if he could hear the grin in his voice. "Goin fer a bit of the dumb lead'n the blind, eh babe?" he teased, starting them on thie rway. The halls they'd taken before were empty now, the lights mostly out except for the automatic ones that flickered on when they approached, and once they got to the exit, he wondered why he'd not seen anything of Alphys. He figured she'd of at least checked up on them, but maybe she'd gotten busy. They'd taken up plenty of her time today, and she likely was behind on her work. Making their way along the Capitol, he helped maneuver his boyfriend around clusters of monsters, each seemingly with their own destinations in mind. The hotel was the same, too, though they didn't run into the Gyftrot at all. Sans wanted to get him back up to bed before trying to scrounge up anything to eat, and just on the off chance, he checked the elevator. "Damn, still not work'n," he grumbled, looking over at the other monster, "guess we're stuck climb'n."

There was a bit of swaying and stumbling as he got his bearings, the shine of metal catching his eye and as if on reflex, he snagged the metal spike that had been removed and shoved it in his pocket before dragging his lvoer over to where he'd stashed his clothes. Once he was properly dressed and pitifully clinging to Sans, he was happy to be led back towards their temporary housing, looking like he'd had far too much to drink from the way he was swaying and stumbling. It wasn't until they were near the hotel that the meds seemed to be wearing off enough for him to walk straight, though he kept his hands firmly attached to Sans' arm, even if it made him look a little... girly. At the prospect of climbing stairs, he let out a low whine and looked ready to cry as he turned his head to press his brow against Sans' shoulder. "Do we gotta? Fuuuck, I hate not bein able to 'port." After getting the pouting out of his system, he turned to look at Sans with a playful little smile before sliding his arms around him. "Mmmm, carry me my big, strong, handsome man." He grinned and chuckled, nuzzling his face against the other's neck and giving him a playful little kiss before making his still slightly wobbly way towards the stairs.

"Heh, if I could carry ya I would, buddy, but yer a bit - wait a sec," Sans gave a playful grin, snapping his fingers as he caught his soul up in blue, helping lift him about three inches off the ground, left eye aflame with bright blue smoke, "hows'at baby?" he asked as he lifted a bit more, settling Red in his arms bridal-style, more of to guide him than to actually take any of the weight. Once he was settled, he had an easy time moving the larger skeleton to their door, and once in the room, he chuckled as he sent him over to the bed, letting him down gently before the blue magic faded out, though he was right there already, nuzzling a kiss to Red's mouth, ands sliding along his face. "Ya get comfy, babe, I'mma go find somethin fer dinner." Sans gave him another kiss, and left the room, intent on being as quick as possible.

The blue magic had his whole body jerk in surprise and at first he looked highly alarmed, but once Sans had him in his arms, those eyes lit up and he wrapped his arms even more tightly around Sans' neck as he cuddled on him and buried his face into his neck with soft laughter that bordered on giggles. "Fuuuck, baby. You really know how to a sweep a guy off his feet, don'tcha?" It felt like his soul was going to burst, even with it being held in that blue magic that felt... oddly comofrting in its familiarity. The whining returned when he was set down, even when his lover was pressing kisses into him, his hands going to his shirt to pull him in and his legs wrapping around his waist as if to keep him right there... until he mentioned food. It was as if his body wanted to thwart his happiness as it formed to start grumbling at him and his grip on the other skele loosened as he let out a defeated sigh. "Fiiine. Just don't take too long, alright? I feel like I barely got to spend any time with ya today." He returned the final kiss and sat on the edge of the bed, watching him leave like a lost little puppy looking on as their owner left for the day. With another sigh, he flopped back on the bed, staring at the ceiling as he kicked off his shoes. "Ugh... I wish this stupid medication would just wear off already." He slowly rolled onto his stomach and crawled further up the bed until he was staring down at one of their rather artistic sets of stains. He gave it a stupid grin before he sat up and pulled off his coat, tossing it off the side of the bed... then after a moment's contemplation, tossing the rest of his clothing as well. With a goofy laugh to accompany the grin on his face, he slipped under the messy covers and covered himself up before staring at the door, waiting for his Sansy to return.

Sans was back much quicker than last night, carrying another covered tray like last time, and again placing it down on that low table. "They took a page outta our book, Red," he said, showing off the steaming hotdogs on that tray, "an, I got ya 'nother bottle ah yer fave," he added with a wink, putting that bright yellow condiment in front of his lover. He picked up one of the bun-held water sausages, holding it like he was gonna have a bite himself. "Want me ta feed ya again, baby? I really did enjoy it las' night."

The naked skele perked up as soon as the door began to open, those bright red eyes following his lover across the room as he brought their dinner around and set it on the table. "Oh, fuck yeah! You're really tryin' to romance me tonight, aren't ya?" He waggled his brows at the other before watching him move the hotdog to his mouth, his hand only halfway to the mustard bottle as his stare became... intent. Once he spoke however, the spell was broken... only to have his face light up with those brightly colored hearts at the prospect of being fed again. He snagged the bottle of mustard and fiddled with it before looking down with a rather shy expression on his face. "O-oh, sweetheart..." When he glanced up with those big red hearts, his gaze was anything _but_ shy. "You know I'd love nothin' more than for ya to shove your sausage in my mouth." He couldn't help but give him a wink and a dirty little grin.

"Funny, ya've only had that meal once," Sans chuckled, giving him no room to reply by popping the end of that hotdog against his teeth, taking the bottle and laying a thick load of the condiment along the top, "eat up, baby." Sans only did the shoving once, otherwise he was practically servile with offering up the mustard-laden food to the other monster, giving him the bulk of what they had, taking bites of his own on several of the hotdogs before slathering it in the yellow paste. He had his ketchup at hand, too, and sipped at it while he let Red have his fill. "Lemme know if ya can't handle it anymore, Red... but hot damn you look good with that slick length in yer mouth," he gave his lover a wink, offering up another, though he's eaten about half of it himself by now.

 _Fucking hell, why is this so hot?!_ His tongue slipped out as he had the 'dog shoved against his mouth, letting it slid up until he'd taken half of it and bit it off to chew before quickly taking the rest. His face was lit up as he continued taking everything Sans offered up to him, his toes curling beneath the blanket as he felt his magic responding to what shouldn't have been anything close to a sexual situation, but something about the whole act just felt so... erotic. And his lover's words certainly didn't help the matter, an unintentional whimper escaping him before he quickly looked away, his entire skull a bright shade of red. "Ah, f-fuck, baby... you wanna see me _pop_ , don't ya?" When he noticed the half-eaten hotdog being presented to him, he licked at his fangs and leaned over, taking the whole thing easily in his mouth and licking at his lover's fingertips teasingly, his hand coming up to hold Sans' wrist as he made sure to lick his fingers clean before finishing off the rest of the 'dog with a groan. "Nnnnn... I'm done, baby. Don't think I can fit anymore in here..." He slipped the blanket down as he laid back on the fluffy pillows, his hands slowly stroking over that now protruding belly full of food that was quickly replenishing his magic reserves.

Sans chuckled as he decided he was done, taking what was left for himself and coating them in ketchup before guzzling them down. Licking ketchup off his mouth, he shifted over onto the bed, sliding his hands along that pudgy, taut belly. "Ah, ya know I love fillin ya up, Red," he said with a lusty laugh in the back of his throat, letting him chain out into a hum as he leaned in and kissed the corner of that fangy mouth, "love ya, baby. How ya feeln?" Sans asked, sliding to lay on his side next to that larger monster, head propped on a hand as the other kept stroking at the ectobelly, "meds still buggin' ya?" He looked at Red with nothing but adoration in his gaze, smiling as they lounged in that messy, comfy bed that had been their refuge. "Stars, you're wonderful, baby," he said in a low, almost disbelieving voice, but he made a snort of a lugh, leaning in more, nuzzling against his shoulder.

The look of adoration, mixed with those loving words had the scarred skele going shy again and it honestly felt so nice just to be able to let himself act however came naturally without that judgemental voice in his head. "Sansy..." He turned his face to plant a kiss on his lover's skull as it nuzzled his shoulder, one of his arms slipping around so his hand could brush over that smooth surface. "I'm feelin' absolutely _amazin'_ , baby. You... you make me feel amazin'... and now... now I'm _all yours_. No voice, no angry aura... _Fuck_ , baby..." Unbidden tears streamed down his face as he cupped Sans' cheek and pulled him up into a deep, desperate kiss, a happy whine making his tongue vibrate as it invaded the other's mouth. "I love you _so_ much. You've been nothin' but good to me and sweetheart, I'm gonna be _so_ good to you... f-for the rest of our lives." Now both arms were wrapping around his neck as he pulled him in for another kiss, dragging him down to the mattress with him in the process.

He rubbed into those touches, almost like he was a purring cat, pleased as punch and happy for more attention. He kissed the tears away, then went back to curl tongues with his boyfriend again, a matching noise of joy in his own throat, hugging tight against the other as they lay there for stars knew how long. Perking up, his elbows to either side of that skull, he grinned down at his fangy counterpart. "Gonna be good to you bein good ta me, Red. All I wanna do is make ya happy, babe," Sans nuzzled their nosebones together, actually feeling pretty damn relaxed. The whole day stressing seemed to make him just wanna doze off, though he wasn't quite to that threshold yet. "Ya wanna cuddle each other ta sleep?" he offered, smiling at the other with soft white eyelights as he gently trailed his fingers along one side of his face in continuous strokes, "sit'n on that mattress all day really takes it outta ya."

With another soft noise of happiness, he let his sockets close, happily rubbing noses with Sans until he felt completely at ease. When his sockets opened, a pair of soft white orabs replaced the red and he could feel the excitement of the day, mixed with a very full belly, wearing him down until his sockets couldn't stay more than halfway open. "Yeah... I think... that sounds real nice, baby. Just you'n me." He let his arms move down until they were wrapped around his ribs, hugging him close and letting his whole face rub against his lover's chest before finally settling down with his skull resting gently on Sans' shoulder. He was quiet for a good long while before he felt his soul flutter in his chest and he turned his head just enough to press another gentle kiss on his jaw, whispering almost inaudibly against the bone. "I love you, Sans. You mean the world to me." He felt a tug at his soul and let out a shaky sigh as he steadily let himself relax against his lover again, this time feeling sleep tugging hard at his whole being.

Being snuggled to, Sans returned the cuddling, humming with enjoyment as he let his own sockets fall shut, kissing wherever he ended up touching the other until he heard that soft murmur, his own voice responding in the same manner. "I love you too, Red. Yer my world," he said, hugging in a little herder before he was starting to the edge of dozing off, his body loose and draping at the larger skeleton, though his mind whirred for a few more minutes before he managed to use the other's tired presence to silence the noises and finally slip off.


	20. A Pair of Dreamers

Back in the Hall, standing alone, everything washed out and muddled in grey and bleak tones. "Well this shit's depressin," he mumbled, looking up at the white panes of glass. They werent' even in picturesque pieces, just solid windows. He heard the sound of light steps behind him, but turning, he saw no-one, and the sound back from behind him again. "Okay, funhouse time then. Been awhile since I had one ah these dreams," Sans said to himself, starting down along the unending Hall. He figured it was better than keeping put, and as he went, it seemed to get brighter, the darkest areas turning grey and everything going in softer hues. Almost pleasant. He stopped when he saw what looked like a large monster dressed in a pale lilac gown, soft grey fur, short horns curving above fluffy long ears... like Asgore. His soul gave a familar throb, and Sans looked at how she sat, knitting something, not a care in the world. The Queen of monsters, and she was here in his head, facing away from him. "Okay, I am not liking how this is start'n to go," Sans said, looking back the way he'd come. For several dozen feet, it was the same Hall, but then it steadily turned pitch black, and he heard the footsteps again. From the darkness. Turning back forward, the Queen was gone, just an empty place again. Sans shivered in place, unwilling to go either way, glancing back and forth with indescision written into his features. _"It's alright..."_ A calm, wavering voice echoed, and when he looked back, Reaperbird was there, looking at him with the single dark eye, and he knew it wasn't the Amalgmate's voice he'd heard. He knew how they sounded, a distinct jumble, but this one was more and less all at once. "Hey buddy," he said to the tall monster, "ya know what's goin on?" Reaperbird just tipped it's head the other way, turned around, and walked into the pitch black.

There was nothing but darkness in his dreams... an empty void of nothingness that wasn't entirely unpleasant. It wasn't a nightmare at least...  
Slowly, those sockets began to open, red slits of magic lighting up the area and making it easy to see the form in front of him. He grimaced and had to fight his first instinct to shove him away. He didn't want him waking up, after all. He shifted carefully out of the other's arms until he was sitting up, looking down with a sharp gaze and trembling hands... one of them lifting as he contemplated. It would be so easy. He'd be dust and he'd never even... His hand dropped as he sighed quietly. He couldn't do it. Not to Sans. _His_ Sans. He let his gaze travel over that sleeping figure, watching as his face twitched during what he assumed was some sort of dream and... he really was a copy of his brother, wasn't he? His mouth curled in a frown before he turned to move quietly out of the bed, his hand reaching to his neck to feel where the spikes had been removed... His brother seemed so much happier without his interference... but yet...  
_'He said he wanted me back... but the moment that sad excuse for a doppleganger was in trouble, he turns right around and changes his mind. Ingrate.'_ He peered around until he found his shorts, rummaging through the pockets until he found the little metal spike, a pleased smirk curling on those fangs. _'Hmmm, isn't this interesting?'_ His eyes peered around the room again, his magic calling to him like a homing beacon and it wasn't long before he found the other bit of metal in a corner of the room. A bit charred, but no worse for wear. He dusted it off and started for the bathroom, stopping to watch the other Sans for a long moment, making sure he was asleep before he slipped inside and closed the door. He turned on the lights and stood before the large mirror, making a face at his appearance... it felt so... odd, being inside his brother... In _this_ sense, anyways. He smirked and lifted his chin, examining the neat work the doctor had done, but letting out a sight at how unlikely it was that he'd get the metal to stay in their old spots... _'Unless....'_ It was risky, but he was certain this body could handle it. It had handled so much worse before. Sans was _much_ tougher than he seemed to realize. After examining the wounds again, he couldn't help but grin. _'Good on the doctor for making it **much** easier to remove these... obstructions.'_ His fingers picked at the dried marrow around the edges until he felt the first bit of sealant coming loose. He hissed as he began to remove it, the pain making tears well up in his sockets... but this was still nothing. With fresh marrow leaking down his bones, his grin became increasingly wicked and with careful precision, he lined one of the spikes up with the open wound before steeling himself and pressing it back in place firmly, this time shoving it past the surface of the bone and straight into the marrow itself. How could his brother _enjoy_ this kind of torment? A shiver ran down his spine as he finally pressed it in far enough that he could replace the hardened sealant and let the marrow dry up around it. It would simply look like they'd come loose of their own volition... or from a naughty skele who might scratch an itch in his sleep. He brough his finger sup and made sure to scratch hard enough to meave marks before repeating the painful process on the second wound. A heavy breath escaped him as he looked at his messy self, bringing his bloodied hands up to lick the marrow from his fingers, groaning at that familiar taste he'd missed so much. _'...He doesn't deserve you.'_ A far more frustrated sigh left him before he turned on the sink and began to carefully wash himself, watching that sweet blood trickle down the drain and making him feel a sense of loss. With everything back as it should be, he turned to turn off the light and leave the washroom, pausing once he stood at the edge of the bed to stare at the sleeping skele within it. Part of him felt disgusted. A hatred that ran deep for _anyone_ who'd take _his_ Sans away... and yet... part of him felt almost... grateful. He'd made Sans happier than he'd ever been able to and... he'd be lying if he said he hated feeling Sans' happiness filling that warm red soul. _'...You'd better never **stop** making him happy.'_ With a soft growl he slipped back into bed, pausing for a moment before resuming his brother's spot next to his partner, feeling a warmth cross his face as he let himself slip back into unconsciousness.


	21. A Slight Malfunction

By the time morning came around, Sans had snuggled himself right up into his boyfriend's side, face against his collarbone. Sockets hooding open, he gave a soft smile, already starting up those loving touches that he couldn't and didn't want to resist giving him. He spent the time until Red woke up doing that, unbothered by if it was a minute or hours. He just wanted to keep touching him. When those other sockets did crack open, he was greeting him with a light kiss. "Mornin' handsome," he said in a quiet voice, keeping cuddled up with him under the blankets. Seemed a bit cool this morning, and he wasn't about to let his lover get chilly, "how'd ya sleep, Red?"

The feel of that warm body against his had his soul pulsing happily in his chest, his eyes staying closed as he pretended to continue sleeping, though the small smile curling on his face was a dead giveaway. "Mmm, good morning, Sans." His voice sounded... strange... And something didn't seem quite right... When he slowly opened his sockets and saw that sweet face move into kiss him, he couldn't help but smile a bit more, his hands slipping around that smaller form and hugging him close, his fingers searching for those spots he knew Sans loved... but... Something was _definitely_ wrong. He pulled back, those slitted eyes peering into a familiar, yet foreign face, listening to a voice that made his soul flutter with the sound of affection dripping from its words. And he'd just... _'What the **fuck**?! Why am I still here?!'_ He brought a hand up to cover his mouth, suddenly looking far more flustered than he should have, his gaze turning as he tried to hide his face in the pillow. So he could think. So he could regain his composure and figure out what he was supposed to _do_! So he didn't have to look into _that face_!

He arched into the touches, making little noises of appreciation while he did, but when the other monster pulled back, he was curious for a moment, though too groggy still from his relaxing morning to really process it. When he turned away, though, he cocked his head just a bit, wondering if maybe he'd woken him a bit early somehow. "Still tired, babe?" he asked in a low, almost sultry tone, though that was more from being lazily dozy than from trying, and he cuddled up against the other, nuzzling his face into the other's shoulder, "we can snooze more if ya need, Red. Ain't nothin' important ta worry over," Sans assured, just content to be right there with his lover, a hand settling on his ribs and the other curled around to occasionally give a stroke against his skull./p>

 _'Fuck. Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck.'_ His sockets blanked out as the affectionate touching continued and it was making him _highly uncomfortable_ with the fact that his... no, his Sans' body was reacting to it so...eagerly. "Hnnnn.... nyeh-eees." His body began to tremble as those sweet caresses seemed to make _everything_ tingle in a way that wasn't entirely unpleasant. With his eyesight blocked by the shadow of the pillow, it was almost easy to imagine those hands as someone else's and after several minutes, he found himself simply arching into the movements and letting out soft noises of pleasure. "Nnnn... Sans..." He let his arms wrap a bit more snugly around the other, his soul pounding in his chest. It had been... so.... so _very_ long since he last held his brother like this. He'd always felt so small. So delicate. His hands slowly worked over those untainted bones and he couldn't help but shudder... How long had it been since his brother's bones had been that smooth? Had they ever been this unscathed? He couldn't remember a time when there wasn't that rough texture to him... and that thought alone had his hands stop, settling for simply holding him. It felt... nice.

He was busy making those pleased little noises and didn't really catch that sound, other than it being a positive, and the way that larger frame was trembling from his caresses. Contining to rub, fingers finding those sensitive grooves and nicks, running the tips of his phalanges into the ones he'd been finding Red liked best. The returned affections had him chuckle soft in his throat, nuzzling a kiss to that half-hiding skull as he stopped shifting about. "We got all day, Red," he murmured against the marred bone, another light kiss trailing along, "you get summore sleep, baby. I'll get up in a lil bit, scrounge us up some breakfast. Not yet, though... jus gonna love on ya a lil." And love on him he did, his palms kneading slowly into the heavier bones, fingers curling to grip or give a delicate brush against his lover. _Stars, I wanna be used to this_... Sans smiled as he imagined doing just that, every day, getting to pet along that doppelganger of his and let him feel just how much he cared for him. Even once they had to get back to having to work, even after it was routine and normal, he'd cherish it.

The entirety of that scarred body was blushing and a high-pitched whine escaped him, muffled by the pillow but still the sound of it in his own earholes making him try even harder to hide. _All day. I can't... all day.... fucking hell, why does he know this body so well already?'_ His fingers gripped at the back of those smooth ribs as they pressed together and he felt himself coming undone... _'F-fuck... I can't... do this... but...'_  
 _NOT COOL, BOSS!_ His sockets shot open against the pillow and he had to quickly disentangle himself from the other, gripping at his neck and hissing. He turned away from that sweet-faced Sans and mvoed to get out of the bed. "Sorry, I... I have to..." He pulled his hand back and looked at the streaks of blood running down his fingers, trickling towards his wrist. "I have to clean up, I... Don't want to get you covered in this mess. Sorry... b-baby..." He disappeared into the washroom and quickly closed the door behind him, grimacing as the word tasted sour in his mouth.  
 _WHAT THE FUCK, BOSS?!?!?!_ He groaned internally and moved towards the mirror, gripping at the edge of the sink as he stared at himself. This felt entirely too strange, staring at himself and looking so....unimposing. And short.  
 _WHATTHEFUCKIMGONNAFUCKINKILLYOUYOUBOYFRIENDSTEALIGNASSHOLE!!!!_ His fingers curled harder on the edge of the sink as his expression went dark... and _highly indignant_!  
 _'ME?! I'm not the one prancing around with **someone else**!' _  
_YOU WERE FUCKING DEAD! Did you really want me to just not be with **anyone**?! _  
_'YES! You're **mine** , dammit!!!'_  
 _NO! I'M. FUCKING. **NOT**!!! _  
He groaned again as he clutched at his skull, sinking to his knees as the pain grew more intense. _'Aaaah!! I'm sorry!'_ The pain immediately began to fade... and his vision seemed to want to follow suit... He slowly swayed in his spot and looked down. _Heh... he don't call me 'Red' for nothin'..._ The world began to spin and go black before he finally fell forwards, the deep red marrow beginning to slowly puddle around his skull.

Feeling those larger hands gripping at him, Sans made a short chuckle, about to quip something inappropriately cheesy when the other monster reacted vioelntly. His eyelights constricted when he saw the heavy slick of marrow running donw his boyfriend's palm, then he disappeared into the bathroom with another apology. Sans shifted to sit up, looking over at the bright droplets of crimson that had hit the sheets, and he frowned. It was silent, and he didn't even hear the water running. He waited, though, until he heard the clack of bone on tile, looking alert. He went over to knock, to ask Red if he was okay, when a louder, heavier thud had his soul in his throat. He tried the handle, but it'd been locked, and he had another jolt of worry at that. Teleporting was easy enough, and once he saw the slumped form, Sans was down on the floor with him, hand covering that bleeding neck as he choked his words. "Red, c'mon baby don't..." he pleaded, using his blue magic to move the heavier skeleton upright against the wall, the flow of marrow slowing from the angle, but not stopping. "Shit," he snapped at himself as his vision went blurry with tears, turning his head to rub the liquid obstructions away and refocus, "what the hell?" he added, his voice low as he pushed harder against that wound. He felt a strange buzzing, almost like hearing an electric hum, but he held tight. He had to stop the bleeding. It was already staining his hand bright red, and trickling down in a bright splotch blooming on that slightly-snug shirt. Reaching up with his free hand, he turned the sink on, grabbing up the nearest towel and putting it in his teeth to tear a strip off. Wetting it, he pushed it in place of his hand, working as quick as he could, hoping the cold water would help clot the marrow up. "C'mon, baby, wake up," Sans begged.

Eventually, he let out a heavy groan and reached hand up to the scar over his eye, his whole body feeling heavy even without the blue magic that held him. "Hnnn, fuck... S-Sansy?" If he hadn't been held up he would have slumped from relief alone. Had that just been some fucked up dream? But then, why was he in the bathroom. _Fuck... that couldn't be real... fuckin' **please** tell me that didn't fuckin' happen..._ He reached his hands up slowly to rest them over Sans', his gaze looking tired with flickering white lights. "Sansy... I'm... it's okay. I'm.. I'm still here, baby." He moved his hand beneath Sans' to hold the cloth that was doing a damn good job of keeping the rest of his marrow from flowing out. "Feelin'... a lil lightheaded... need ta... l-lay down, I think. Or at least... fuckin' sit down. Alright?" He reached a hand out, slipping it around Sans' shoulders to pull him into a tight hug, reassuring him that he was going to be alright.

Hearing that voice, he let himself break down, just for a moment, the relief flowing out of him as heavily as his tears. "F-fuck Red... y-ya sure yer okay? Why... why'd ya run off? Ya know I can help, I don't mind ya bleedn' on me, baby," he said, shaking in his embrace before he took several long, deep breaths, trying to resituate himself so that he wouldn't be useless. He'd had his little bout of crying to release the worst of the tension, now he used the blue magic still holding his lover to help him walk back to the bed, letting him sit up against the headboard before that hold was removed. Sliding his hands along those larger arms, he again reassured himself that Red was conscious, shoulders slumping just a bit. "Stars, babe... maybe we shoulda stayed up with Alphys. Ya prolly won't be able ta walk there today, an I don't evne know if she'll be able ta make time..." _We've prolly thrown everything way behind for her, she might be busy as all hell. Who knows if she even got enough sleep._ Sans felt a guilty lump in his 'gut' from that thought. She had so much on her plate already without them running to her for help every fuckin' day. "Ya think you'll be okay for me ta go grab somethin ta eat fer ya, Red? It should help wit' your head."

"I know, baby, I know, I just... I guess I panicked a little. I'm sorry I worried ya, Sansy." He pressed a kiss to his brow before he was taken to the bed, an exhausted groan escaping him as he slumped against the mattress comfortably. "Mmm, you're prolly right, babe, but ain't nothin' we can do about that now. She's a busy lady and this ain't the first time I've bled, y'know?" He gave his lover a comforting grin, though he couldn't keep those eyes from looking absolutely ragged from the blood loss. "I'll be fine, babe. Go find somethin' good. Oh hey, where'd you put that, uh... that mustard from last night? That always fuckin' perks me up." He turned his skull to look around, but winced as he felt a pain shoot through his neck... _What the... YOU PUT THOSE FUCKIN' SPIKES BACK IN MY NECK?!_ There was silence in his head, so he just let out a frustrated growl before resting his skull back against the headboard. "Can't I just go one fuckin' day without some bullshit drama with my neck? Just one fuckin' mornin' to lie around and be fuckin' happy with my _boyfriend_?" He clenched his sockets shut to fight back the waterworks, groaning with how it burned, but eventually he just let out a defeated sigh and slumped a bit more, his voice coming out in a raspy whisper. "...i'm sorry, baby... i'm just... gettin' a lil frustrated..."

He got both bottles for him, shoving them within reach on the bed, giving him a concerned look when that angry questioning came up. his hands slid over to grip one of those other ones, rubbing the bone with gentle fingers. "I'll be back soon, Red..." he said, giving the back of that hand a kiss, "I love ya, babe." He gave the other an encouraging grin, and left with a distinct pop. Down in the kitchen, he surprised Meese, who made a panicked gasp at the splotches of blood still clinging to him.  
"What in the STARS!" she started, only for him to look down and sigh.  
"Sorry bout that, boyfriend's uh... got a few wounds ta tend to," he said, rubbing his neck just at the thought of it, "kinda forgot I got any on me." Were things better, she probabyl would have asked why they didn't just see a healer, but right now all their efforts were being put into keeping things together, rather than mending every scratch. Hell, she likely knew a few monsters that had daily bandaging at this point. Sighing, the mouse monster scooped out two large bowls of fruit-filled oatmeal and handed them to him.  
"Been try'n to make whatever we can get into large batches. No one's come ta claim the place yet," she said, stirring another bowlful of chopped peaches into the pot, "think'n of goin to see if I can try to get it and turn it inta some kinda volunteer place. Some monsters do better help'n others, ya know? Gyftrot certainly does."  
"Yeah, I get whatcha mean," Sans said, a bowl in each hand, glad that at least there was some kind of steady food coming out of the place. He reminded himself to bring down some gold when they had dinner. Turning back out the door, he did his best to avoid being spotted, not wanting to be explaining the mess of his clothes again, and when he knew he was out of anyone's sight, teleported back beside the bed.

"love ya, too, baby." When the other disappeared, his sockets fell closed almost instantly as he concentrated on keeping himself calm and relaxed, but refusing to fall asleep. "Is that how... you're just gonna fuckin'... take over my body when I'm sleepin'... fuckin' _touch_ my _boyfriend_... then come ta find out... ya fuckin shoved those piece of shit spikes back in my neck... the fuck is _wrong_ with you?!" He held his breath, waiting for an answer... but when he was met with silence he simply groaned and went back to concentrating on keeping the beat of his soul steady. One tired eye pried itself open when he heard the distinctive _pop_ of his lover's return, his smile quickly making its way back to his face. "Man, that smells fuckin' _great_ , baby. You gonna cook like this when we're livin' together? Y'know, when I'm fallin' over for some injury or another." He chuckled at the stupidity of the joke and reached out to take one of the bowls, peering down at the spoon before slipping his thumb over it and holding it steady as he lifted it to his mouth to blow the steam from the top. His ectobelly was already forming as he put the bowl to his mouth and carefully drank it down, licking bits from the corners of his mouth with that thick red tongue. It felt like his energy was already beginning to return with the bleeding stopped and the hearty food and by the time he'd finished the bowl, he was sitting up and looking less like he hadn't slept in days. "Ah... fuckin' perfect. You mind, uh... helping me clean and bandage this up? I-I mean... I can do it myself if it'll make ya queasy or somethin, but..." His eyes lingered on Sans for a long moment before turning his gaze to the bed as his cheeks flushed a soft crimson. Why did it feel like such a personal thing to ask for? Was he really so messed up that he was _this_ desperate to be taken care of? To be loved on and showed affection like he'd never had before? ...Yes. He was. And... as he looked at that soft face that always seemed worried about him when he was hurt... he knew he was okay with that.

He ate right along with him, both of them being messy as all hell, but once it was all done, he stacked the bowls together and shoved them right alongside the dishes form the last two nights, thinking he should probably see about taking those back too. Probabyl tonight when he went to get more food, yeah. "Don't mind a bit, Red. I like bein' able ta help take care ah ya, babe," he said, giving his lover a bright grin. It really made him feel useful, and that really did help his state of mind. That he did more than hurt, or take, or bother. He shifted over closer to press a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth. "Least we can cuddle once yer all cleaned up again. An jus enjoy the rest of the day doin fuck-all." He got up to retrieve the first aid kit, checking everything over before getting back on the bed, hoping that peeling the towel away wouldn't cause too much problem with bleeding. When he got it worked free, a trickle of bright crimson started its way down his cervical vertebrae, but it wasn't anything he couldn't manage. Using a clean piece of gauze, he rubbed gently at the caked blood, getting the surface layer off enough, stopping when the blood flow increased too much. Two more pieces of gauze, one folded in half for bulk, and he was almost an expert at getting the medical tape in place. For good measure, he wrapped a layer of bandage around his neck, and used a bit more tape to hold it in place over the wound. "Looks like ya scratched at it, baby," he said, having seen the red-tinged new scrapes, "worked some of the sealant junk loose, prolly. Fuck, I wish Al had explained better bout that stuff, looked like it was peelin' away from it. Maybe she needs ta replace it?"

The gentle treatment had him groaning softly, barely feeling any pain from the towel tugging at some of the scabbing. "You're... way too good to me, babe." he reached a hand over and let it rest on Sans leg as he worked those bandages nice and snug and they felt so warm from his touch. "You're a fuckin' angel. And you're all _mine_." He leaned over to press a kiss to Sans' cheek before lifting his brows at his comments. "Scratched at it? Fuck... maybe we shoulda kept it wrapped up. I thought that shit would hold better than it did. I guess... yeah, we should probably see if she can make some time for us soonish. I know she's busy, but _fuck_..." He grabbed the wet towel and found a clean bit of corner to start wiping himself as clean as he could get before the whole thing was covere din red. "Sorry... for kinda ruinin' our lazy mornin'. Ya think, uh... after we get a lil cleane dup we can go back to cuddlin' for a while? I feel like... I didn't really get to enjoy it enough earlier." He rubbed gently at the bandaging as he stared down at his legs, no longer trying to hide his blushing face from his lover... and slowly turning to meet his gaze with that shy, helpless smile.

Being called an angel, he gave a heavy flush, looking away shyly for a moment, before that kiss drew his attention back where it belonged, giving that other skeleton a big, happy smile. "I'mma cuddle you so good, Red," he said, taking away that thoroughly fucked up towel scrap and disappearing to the bathroom, returning with some more of that tattered fabric, some of it damp and the rest left dry. "Ya didn't ruin nothin, baby, we can still have plenty ah lazy time, all ya want." He shifted the dirty shirt away and attacked the worst spots of dried marrow, working the towel until it was stained red too. Patting it dry, he gave his lover a grin. "I do love touch'n ya, Red. Though I'll be glad when yer neck heals up, so ya don't have ta worry about it anymore." He paused, remembering how his boyfriend had been yelling as he'd fallen off the operating table. "Hey, did... ya wanna see Al 'bout getn the other two spikes out sometime? Maybe once the first wounds are healed up?"

His fingers went to the small spikes that were left embedded in the back of his neck and he let out a soft sigh. "I, uh... I dunno... I mean, after the last time and... well, I haven't felt Boss interfering with nothin'..." He tilted his head down to look at his blood-stained bones, feeling lightheaded just from thinking about how much he'd lost. Was... Boss tryin' to fuckin' _kill_ him? "I think... I'll need to sleep on it a bit, really... Think you can help me with that?" A playful little smirk curled on his mouth as he peered up at the face of his beautiful little angel, a trembling hand reaching out to stroke along his cheek before letting it fall back onto the bed as he tried to relax as best as he could. Now that he didn't feel like he was going to die, he found it easy to close his eyes, waiting for his lover to cuddle up next to him before drifting off... _But what if he takes over again?_ His sockets opened just a bit at the thought... Boss had been quiet, but... he could just be waiting. _Waiting for his next opportunity to use my body however he pleases... heh, ain't nothin' new there._ His sockets narrowed as he stared across the room at the wall, contemplating how badly he needed to sleep versus whether or not he wanted to take the chance.


	22. title

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> theres probably not going to be any more. enjoy.

Sans chuckled, nuzzling their nosebones together before he was snuggling up more on that large monster, leg draped over the other's femur, feet nudging together. He hooded his sockets shut, a happy, almost-hum sound in his throat as he was starting to rub soothin circles into Red's shoulder and chest. "No rush, babe," he said, soft and dozy, but not quite tired enough to actually sleep, even being full of oatmeal and affection. His hand didn't keep still, continuing to stroke along the rough bones, occasionally pressing a soft kiss to the shoulder nearest to him. Eventually, Sans looked up, the slivers of the other's eyelights rousing his curiousity. "Havin' trouble sleep'n baby?" Sans asked, running his hand up to turn that face a bit, kissing near that gold tooth, "I'm here, Red. Ain't goin' anywhere."

His brows rose when he heard Sans speak, his head turning slowly to peer down with a warm smile that grew when he was kissed. "Yeah, a bit. Just been thinkin' about some stuff and... I'd rather just rest and think about findin' a nice place for you and me. Maybe once I'm feelin' better we can go look around. I'll see about findin' some odd jobs and shit to help pay for everything." His arm hugged his lover closer to his body as he leaned down and presse dinto another kiss, letting it linger before he sighed with exhaustion. "Just wish all the thinkin' wasn't so distracting from the sleepin'. If I'm gonna get better, I'mma need rest, right? Nnnn, fuck." He brought his hand up to rub the tiredness form his sockets before leaning further against Sans, his head settling ontop of that smooth skull as he tried to settle down. He needed sleep... but...

"Still, no rush," Sans assured him, nudging in a little closer under that jaw, making sure not to hit against the bandaging, "here's good as anywhere fer now. Long as I got you, I'm good, babe." Sans' arms hugged around him in a snug squeeze, then loosened to return to the kneading petting he'd been doing before. He knew he technically had the sentry posts, and the hotdog stands, and the position as Judge, all of which paid in different rates and settled out to a tidy income, but he wasn't sure how expensive the places in New Home would actually -be-. A full house compared to a small apartment, though, might be they come out spending less, or the same. Either way, Sans knew he just needed his lover there at the end of the day, and he didn't care what it took. By the time he realized he'd dozed off into a little cat-nap, he shook his head with a grunt and started into an easy, luxurious stretching. "Hoo, baby... I'm feel'n a bit peckish, how bout you Red?"

Several times his sockets fell shut, but he just couldn't find it in himself to sleep. Still, he didn't want Sans worrying over him, so he at least had the decency to keep his eyes closed while he rested on him, his hand slowly rubbing up and down his lover's arm. Even if he was feeling like death, he couldn't help but enjoy the closeness. The warmth. He could swear he felt that blue soul pulsing softly in the other's chest, the beat of his own slowing to match. His brows knit together in confusion, wondering if he was just imagining the sensation. He didn't have long to contemplate it before his dozy boyfriend started shifting and showing signs of waking up, his head lifting to let him loose to stretch and his gaze wandering up the prone form. The red beneath his eyes made him look especially haggard, but there was a warm smile on his face regardless and he found the energy to lift up and pull himself over the slightly smaller skeleton. "Yeah, I'm sure I could stand to eat a bit more." He leaned down, stealing a few kisses from him before moving away slipping his legs off the bed. He let his toes press into the carpet below until he was on his feet, testing his balance before he started moving away from the bed, feeling well enough to make it to the washroom to grab another clean cloth to soak half of it so he could scrub away anything they'd missed earlier. "What'd ya have in mind, baby?"

He watched the careful way Red seemed to move, as if guaging every stp for the possibility of tripping, but he smirked as the other called over about food. He rolled in place onto his belly on the bed, jawline perked on his elbows. "Well, pizza sounds damn good, or anythin with bacon," Sans made a pleasured, drooling noise as he hooded his sockets shut, imagining some thick, crispy bacon, and he shuddered with a grin, "mmmph. Stars, 'bout anythin greasy an hot sounds good, really." He lifted up to slide off the tecnicolor bedding, fishing about for his socks and making sure his clothes were settled right. They'd need to perhaps either get more clothes or wash the ones they had, since the stains along his shirt were very prominent... Sans huffed a moment and picked at the spots of dry marrow, the rust-orange hue making him start to grimace and shiver. Maybe he could handle teleporting to the house, just to grab some laundry... but he really didn't want to go anywhere without Red, especailly there. But he also didn't think the larger skeleton would even be up for that much travel, and he sure as hell wasn't going to risk a teleport if it'd hurt him. For several minutes, he was silent, contemplating the dirty fabric in his fingers, everything else just kind of going fuzzy around him. _How long's it been?_

"Dude... I can only get so aroused. Keep it up and you're gonna break me." He leaned against the doorway with a dry towel mopping up the bit of moisture he'd acquired from his sink bathing. Those sharp red eyes watched his lover messing with the stains on his shirt and he tipped his head to the side curiously. "Hey, see if they have any vinegar in the kitchen next time you're down there. Fuck, it's gonna be stellar when we got our own place. We'll get some fuckin machines set up to clean our shit for us. Heh, maybe when Al's not so busy, we can see if she has any designs for robots that clean your house for ya. How fuckin' sweet would that be? Though, knowin' my luck, the robot'd turn out to be a nag, too." His gaze got distant for a few long moments before he shook himself back into reality. " _Anyways_. About that pizza." He moved towards the bed, feeling a bit more confident in his strides as he woke up a bit more and felt his strength returning. He climbed onto the bed and looked at all the stains on everything. "Shit. Maybe we should scrub this shit down in the shower? Heh, might need ta scrub _everything_ down in the shower after we're done with the place." He shot his lover a wicked grin, wiggling his brows as his eyes suggested all kinds of dirty things.

"Heh, I dunno bout that. Would hafta get ghosts in em ta work, and I dunno if I could take dat. Could hardly stand Mettaton on a good day," Sans said, letting the shirt drop. He tucked the thought on the vinegar away in his head, though when that larger monster came crawlign up to him, he made a soft, muffled grunt at the sight. "You wanna fuck or eat, baby? I mean, I'm not opposed ta both, but gotta have the food here 'fore ya can try that." He leaned in, palms braced on the messy bedspread to clack a light kiss to those sharp fangs, then started shifting over to the side. "I'll see what they got. If we gotta head out, I'll come back up fer ya." Almost self-consciously, Sans zipped his hoodie up enough to cover the stains, feeling satisfied that he didn't look like he just tried to kill someone. His arrival at the kitchen showed him that his cravings had been almost prophetic, several dozen pizzas laid out on the counters to cool enough to eat. There was an assortment, and while they weren't exactly round in most cases, they looked and smelled perfect. "Hey, you guys know if there's any vinegar aorund here?" He asked, having slid a larger donation in to feel better about snagging up a whole bacon and what looked like shredded pork on a barbeque sauce as well as half a plain cheese. He was shuffling them into place on a longer tray when a gallon of the stuff was shoved at him, telling him to not bother bringing any back. Apparentally the place had too many jugs of the junk to count, stars knew why. "Hey baby," Sans said, teleporting into the room, one hand holding the tray and the other bearing the jug, "looks like we're lucky as fuck."

A brow was lifted when he mentioned every robot needing a soul, opening his mouth to argue, but instead sighing and deciding it wasn't worth it. WHile he was gone, he stripped down the bed and got started trying to clean all of their various stains from the bedding while he whistled a nameless tune. _Cum and blood, the story of Red the skeleton._ He snickered and draped what he could over the door of the shower, then headed back to the room, flexing his hands as he felt his strength returning the more he walked around. By the time Sans returned, the place looked downright presentable. He flinched a bit when he heard the voice appear from nowhere, but turned to his lover with a smile that grew when he saw what he'd scored. "Fuck yeah, baby! Let's eat some pizza, then clean some sheets." He moved over to take the jug from him, putting it in the bathroom before taking a seat at the end of the bed and relaxing back against it with a sigh. "Once that's done, Imma take a nap, then do my best to ruin the sheets all over again." He grinned at Sans and held out his hand, feeling his body ache all the mor ein want of food.

He'd taken a seat on the bed while Red went over to the bathroom, pulling up a slice of the pizza and taking a good bite. It had plenty of cheese, and the meat was nice an greasy, but despite lacking much in the way of sauce, adn the crust tasting not too great, he didn't care. He folded it and winked at his boyfriend while he finished off his first bit of pizza, handing Red another fresh piece. "It's not too bad. I've eaten worse," he said, licking a smear of meat-grease from his mouth before going after another, "we'll prolly get em ta dry while we snooze, too. If not we can jus wreck the floor a bit," Sans added with another chuckle, inbetween bites of pizza. He didn't add much else until he was full, his face bearing slicks of grease and tomato along his teeth and jaw, his hands and wrists too, and he got set to licking the tasty junk off his palm and fingers first. "Think ya might feel up fer headn't down tomorrow? I'd like ta see about restockn our food, if nothin else, and a walk might help. I'd 'port ya, but.... well, ya got enought a worry about without havin' magic feedback screech'n in yer head."

After several slices of that greasy heaven, Red sat back to pat his belly, listening to his lover with a grin. "Yeah, I should be fine gettin' around tomorrow, assumin' nothin' else happens to me tonight." He gave a nice long stretch to every limb, wincing when he stretched his arms the wrong way and made his neck ache. "Fuck. I know I probably deserve all this shit, but goddamn does it hurt..." He groaned as he rubbed around the sore bone, hoping it didn't break any worse than it already had. "Give it a few more days and I'll probably try workin' on usin' my magic if the interference ain't so bad. It sucks feelin' this defenseless, even in a universe o' goody goodies." He winked at Sans and lifted up to his knees, placing himself between the other's legs before taking one of his hands and helping him get the grease off. "Dude, you make me look all prim and proper." He shifted again until he was standing, leaning in closer to that greasy face. "Dirty fuckin' slob." He grinned and swiped his tongue over one tasty patch of uncleanliness after another, leaving trails of clean red magic all over him. "Fuckin' disgusting." He pushed him back onto the bed and crawled over him, letting his mouth move further down a trail of grease that had made its way towards his neck and though the line itself stopped, the one cleaning it was far from done. "Stars, you taste amazing, baby."

Hearing that Red thought he'd be fine, Sans relaxed a little more, his dopey grin turning smoother and light. That changed when Red was shifting in front of him, licking away at his hands. It had a pleasant tingle run up his arm and into his marrow with every swipe of the tongue, and by the time he even thought to reply to that quip, he was in his face. With more of those licks that made Sans want to just feel that tongue all over his body. Being pushed down, he actually arched a little before Red was pressing him more into the bed with mouth and hands, and he was loving it. It felt like he was going to devour him, and he begged with every little shift and almost-squeaking noise for him to do just that. He stripped the shirt away, then pulled Red's face into his, gasping when he broke the kiss. "You're fuck'n gross," he breathed, eyelights gone to hearts as he clanked more little kisses along his face, "fuck'n make more of a mess of me, Red... I fuck'n need it, babe..." His voice had gone light, and he worked himself free of the shorts too, kicking them off his leg as he drove another deep kiss between them. "I fuck'n love you so much, you dirty fuck'n bitch," Sans snarked, his grin curling up hard, "lick'n all the gross shit off me."


End file.
